Cause and Effect
by Z. Alexander
Summary: In the end, Sasuke couldn't let Naruto kill him...and he couldn't kill Naruto, either. So he did the only thing he COULD do...and Naruto is now very, very confused. Watch out, Konoha, because Uzumaki Naruto is about to make history. NOT SasuNaru, FemNaru.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me. This wholly unoriginal plot sort of belongs to me...or rather, I have taken an overused plot line and run with it, changing it to fit my own desires. I can't guarantee there isn't a story similar to this one, but I can guarantee that I won't steal lines or whatever. That would be lame and I like writing my own stuff.

I should warn you...I have changed many things. Specifically, I've changed the ages...I'll explain the changes. I'll explain the rest at the bottom, so...yeah. One more thing: I WILL be updating "Living With Fire," but this story wouldn't get out of my head. I'll be writing them simultaneously.

* * *

Cause and Effect

by Zheyne Starrh

* * *

As much as Sasuke hated to admit it…Naruto was strong. He could be strategic…when he wanted to be, or when it mattered most. He was passionate and spontaneous…basically, a horrible fight. A great best friend and (secret) love, but a horrible fight. 

And Sasuke was losing. Badly.

He hadn't expected Naruto to be this strong…even with his training under Jiraiya, Kakashi, and even Tsunade; Naruto had always been the Village Idiot. The loser, the last in the class. He wasn't _supposed _to pass Sasuke up! It was…irritating, and frightening. Especially since his heart – always ice cold – warmed fractionally when Naruto looked into his eyes with his blue, determined ones and whispered, "I never wanted to kill you, Sasuke."

And Sasuke knew he had to use _that _technique, because Naruto would hate himself if he knew he'd killed his best friend, his teammate. One of his _most precious people. _It would leave Sasuke vulnerable for a few seconds, but he had backup, and he didn't really want Naruto to die, either.

He called for Karin to cover him, and when she saw him running through seals, she frowned and yelled, "Why are you _helping _him?

Sasuke couldn't answer…mainly because he knew that his associates would just scoff, and they wouldn't understand why this _one person _changed him…even just a little.

_Just a few years, Sasuke. Just a few years._

He pushed as much chakra as he possibly could into his technique, ignoring his clueless associates (because they were _only _associates; they weren't comrades, and he wasn't dying for _them_ any time soon so they couldn't be called teammates).

They wouldn't understand why he couldn't kill Naruto, because he didn't understand it himself. He'd tried, and failed, time and time again, and had even come close…but every time, he'd felt _relief_when Naruto didn't die.

It was just crazy, but that's who Naruto was. He was amazing, he was powerful…

He was gone.

Sasuke had finished his string of seals, and Naruto was _gone, _and Sasuke couldn't take back his actions.

Uzumaki Naruto was dead…and Uchiha Sasuke obtained the Mangekyou.

Then, everything went dark.

The Elemental Countries were no more.

**Don't mind me…I'm just a line break!**

Uzumaki Naruto awoke with a start. Blue eyes took in the surrounding trees, sensitive ears picked up the running water from the river, and a sensitive nose told of the _life _surrounding the body.

"Um, what the hell?!"

* * *

Author's Notes:

I'm only going to do these if there's something relevant to the story...so, most likely just this chapter.  
This is only the prologue, so it's very short. This will be a time-travel story, and also a female Naruto story. However, I think my idea will be a little more original than most. This is a romance, but it's not a Naruto/Sasuke. Everything will play out...however, it will take time. Please give it a chance!

Zheyne


	2. Forgive me, Father, for I am an idiot

Just a quick warning or whatever: Naruto will not be dating Sakura. It mentions her crush on Sakura in here, but I only did that to keep it canon...she's not going to be with Sakura. Or with any girl. Being with Sakura would be...impossible, anyway.

* * *

Naruto stood quickly, immediately checking the surrounding area. The river just behind…Sasuke had been there, and had been making hand seals. This wasn't right; Naruto hadn't killed Sasuke! 

Naruto heard voices, and checked to make sure everything was in place.

Oversized orange clothing: check. Hmm...this wasn't the usual jumpsuit...but there had been one in the pack. Hopefully, the clothes hadn't been changed by a teammate...

Konoha hitae-ite: check.

Tsunade-baachan's necklace: check.

The voices came closer, and Naruto caught a glimpse of blonde hair styled like Ino's. _Maybe I should say hello...maybe she'll know what's going on._

Deciding this was the best course of action, Naruto headed toward the voices. But the face was different, and the voice was not female.

"Hey, Shika, we should take our old teammate out to eat when we get back. It _is_ his birthday tomorrow, after all."

"Don't call me Shika; that's a woman's name," the blond man's companion grumbled. _Shika…but that's not what Shikamaru looks like…_

"Fine, Shi-hey, wait. There's someone over there."

The not-Shikamaru person turned and looked in Naruto's direction and nodded. "You're right."

"Well, we should check it out, shouldn't we?"

'Shika' sighed heavily. "Probably."

"Lazy-ass," the blond muttered good-naturedly, and walked in Naruto's direction. It was pointless to hide, so Naruto didn't bother to keep hiding, and walked to meet the two people instead.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto began. Konoha _was _the destination, after all, and these two were Konoha Shinobi. "I'm not sure what happened, but I was in a fight, and now…I'm not. And…yeah. It's confusing. My opponent isn't dead…or at least, I don't_ think _he is…and I'm obviously not dead, even though we were fighting to the death…unfortunately. He was my best friend. And…"

Naruto blushed, seeing the two's facial expressions. "Sorry, I was rambling."

"I've never seen you around the village before," 'Shika' stated, eyes narrowing. "How can we be sure you're really a Konoha Shinobi?"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess you can't. But you can escort me to Konoha, if you want, and I'll talk to the Hokage. I'll be recognized, I promise."

The two exchanged looks, and Naruto sighed. "Listen, I'm not going to give you any trouble. Besides…shouldn't the Hokage know about any potential threats to Konoha? What if _I _was a threat? It would be good to bring me in for questioning, right?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "I think this kid _really _wants us to take him to Konoha. He's got a Konoha hitae-ite, and he's still just a brat…"

"Hey, I am _not!"_

The man ignored that. "Anyway, we should be careful and watch him like a prisoner, but we probably should take him to Hokage-sama."

'Shika' nodded. "All right, I guess."

Well, they at least had the same _attitude._

"Okay, so, can we go?" Naruto gave them a cheery smile, which was answered with incredulous looks.

"I'm totally safe, I swear."

Two hours later, Naruto was staring at the face of the Sandaime Hokage…

"_What?!"_

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"You're…you're…"

The Hokage just waited patiently for Naruto to breathe normally. "You're _alive?"_

He tensed a bit. "Shouldn't I be?"

Naruto frowned. "But…I thought you _died. _I thought…" The frown changed to a grin, and shouted, "You're alive! Yahoo, you're alive!"

The Sandaime Hokage looked more than a little confused, especially when Naruto stopped dancing excitedly and asked, "Wait…_how _are you alive? And why are you Hokage still? Where's Tsunade-babaa, and what's going on?"

He didn't look as tired – or as _old, _even – as Naruto remembered. This was…strange. What had Sasuke _done? _It's not like he could've…

Or…wait…

She hadn't really thought about her _size, _either. She was _short _again! She felt _twelve _again!

"Hey, Jijii, did Hebi-kusotare show his ugly mug around here?"

"Hebi…kusotare…?"

Naruto flopped down in the seat again. "Yeah. You know…Orochimaru."

The Sandaime's eyes widened in surprise. "Young man…why would you say that about Orochimaru-kun?"

"Because that's what he is. Jeez, Hokage-jijii, are you…wait…so he _didn't _try to kill you?"

The Hokage frowned and studied Naruto, who fidgeted.

"Young man, I think you'd better tell me just who you are and what your purpose here is."

"But I'm…Uzumaki Naruto…and…"

_How is this happening?_

"Has there been a fourth Hokage yet, jijii?"

"I'm not _that _old, you know. And I don't appreciate the amount of disrespect you are showing."

So…the Hokage didn't know Naruto, because…

_Oh, hell._

"All right…my name is Uzumaki Naruto, I'm a ninja – I have been for five years – and I don't know how or why I'm here, but I'm…not supposed to be. Anyway, since no one knows me, that means no one's ever hated me here...which means I feel comfortable letting you know that I'm not a boy. I'm a girl."

She paused to let it all sink in, which didn't take very long…but the Hokage wasn't known as the Professor for nothing. He was smart.

"I need to know some…back story…since you are making absolutely no sense. I'm giving you an opportunity to tell the truth here, so make the most of it…interrogation is not pretty."

Naruto shuddered involuntarily. Maybe Morino Ibiki wasn't Head of Interrogation yet, but that wasn't the point…those people were _ruthless._

"Okay, I'll tell you what I know…but there are things in my story that are even mysterious to _me. _Don't worry, though, I'm not a threat. I'd _die _before betraying Konoha."

And she would, too.

"I was born on October tenth, seventeen years ago…although, I look about twelve now, and I really have no idea why. Also…depending on when we are right now…I might not be born yet. Um, anyway, when I was twelve, I graduated from the academy and became a ninja, blah-blah-blah. I was put on a team with the top student in my class, and the smartest girl…probably because no one (besides you, of course) thought I was a boy, and you let me _be _a boy. Anyway, I had a crush on the kunoichi on my team, but she liked the other guy – and he was a_ bastard, _let me tell you – so I thought of him as a 'rival,' even in the beginning.

After our first C-ranked mission, which turned A-rank because our employer lied to you, we got closer, and we started up a _different _kind of rivalry, because I wanted to get stronger than him and he didn't want to lose to the kid with the worst grades in the academy.

Later on, our team took the chuunin exams, and that's when Hebi-kusotare came and…sorry,_Orochimaru…_well, he came and offered my asshole teammate power because he was hell-bent on revenge. He left to get that power, and I was sent out on a mission to stop him…I was still a genin, but I was still strong. You following me so far?"

The Hokage nodded skeptically.

"Good. Anyway, I promised the girl on my team I'd drag his ass back here, and I_ never _go back on my promises, but I couldn't do it. I went away for two years with ero-sennin – his name's Jiraiya, but he's really just a pervy old guy with a bunch of kickass moves. Um, he trained me. I came back strong, but then my old sensei took over my training and I got even stronger. There was a group of people after the…power I held…and they were hunting me while I was hunting my teammate. We ended up killing most of 'em, though I lost some good friends in the process. I eventually grew out of my crush, but I never had another one...but that's not important.

I finally caught up with my teammate again, and we fought…I just wanted to bring him back to Konoha, and he wanted me to quit…but between us, fights have always been intense enough that one or both of us could've died easily. Um, I didn't want to kill him, because it would have broken my other teammate's heart, but also, he was my best friend and I considered him my brother, which was cool because I never had any family."

Naruto took a breath, and then continued, "I really thought he was gonna kill me…I was kinda expecting it, actually, since I couldn't have killed him. He started making seals, and I was ready to die…and then, I woke up in the woods, and I was found by those two guys. I'm not sure how he did it, but…I guess he sent me to the past…or something?"

The Hokage pursed his lips, looking dubious. "Do you know how farfetched your story sounds?"

She nodded fervently. "Yep. I still don't know if I believe it. Maybe he put me in a Shar…I mean, maybe he used genjutsu to make me _think _I'm in the past, and he's really firing up a technique to kill me. I don't know _why _he'd do that, but I can't dispel illusions worth crap, to it wouldn't matter if I _am _just hallucinating."

The Sandaime eyed her carefully. "Do you have any _proof _to back up your…rather unbelievable story?"

Naruto frowned, before she remembered Tsunade's necklace and held it up. "See? Proof. I won this in a bet with Tsunade-babaa before I went on the training trip with ero-sennin. They wanted her to become the Godaime Hokage, but she didn't want to, so I made a bet with her…and because she's got the _worst _luck in the world, at least with betting, I won and she had to become the Hokage. Um, I don't know if I can still do it, but I used to be able to summon toads…?"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you try it? I'd be more inclined to believe you if you had something to show me besides a necklace that_ could _be an imitation."

Naruto shrugged and bit her thumb and ran through some seals. "Fine by me…kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Nothing happened.

"Aw, crap," she muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess I can't do it because I haven't signed the contract yet…damn it! That means I haven't worked with Gamabunta yet! And…"

She paused, thinking. "I don't know if I can still do it, cos I don't know how good my chakra control is, but…ero-sennin taught me Rasengan! That was actually the bet I made with Tsunade-babaa. She said if I could master it in a week, she'd come back and be Hokage and give me the necklace. If I couldn't, I'd have to give up my dream to become Hokage! Of course I had to win…and I _did."_

His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened when Naruto said "Rasengan."

"How…is it possible that you know the name of that technique? Minato-kun only just fixed it!"

She grinned foxily. "I told you, I'm from the future. Here, look. I'll show you…if you'll let me."

He pursed his lips, appearing to think hard. "…All right," he said, after a few minutes. "But I'm going to call in another person, and my Anbu are going to show themselves."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. By the way, who are you going to call?"

The Hokage whispered something to the Anbu closest to him and the person disappeared. Naruto shrugged and sat back down, waiting for…whoever it was.

After a few minutes, Naruto heard the door open and she turned, eyes widening as she saw_ him._

Namikaze Minato, also known as the Yondaime Hokage, also known as Father.

But apparently, he didn't know that yet.

He entered the room, eyeing Naruto warily. She waved, smiling cheekily. He raised an eyebrow, but sat next to her when the Hokage motioned for him to sit.

"Minato-kun," he began in a deceptively light tone, "this girl professes to know your…recently-created technique."

Minato frowned. "Have you _seen _it yet?"

"No, and that's why I sent for you. Not only will _you _be able to verify the truth, if it _is _true, but a twelve-year-old who professes to have mastered in a _week _should be monitored, until she proves herself."

Naruto huffed. "I'm right here, you know," she grumbled. "And it actually took me two weeks and three days…Tsunade-babaa met me after ero-sennin started teaching me."

If either of the Hokage were surprised, they didn't show it. The Sandaime asked, "If you could show us…?"

Naruto grinned and stood, moving to the center of the large room and assessing her stats.

_I've got the same amount of chakra as I had before I got thrown into this wacky technique, _she thought. _I'm not sure how my chakra control is, but I guess I could test it out by running up the wall…that'll tell me._

"Hey, can I go up the wall, just to check how good my control is?"

The Hokage gave her a funny look. "If it's necessary."

She nodded and approached the wall, walking up slowly.

_Ugh, I'm going to have to use kage-bunshin to help me. Gotta work on my chakra control when this is over._

She jumped down to the floor and formed the seal. "Kage-bunshin no jutsu!"

She grinned sheepishly, looking at the two Hokage and rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry, but my control kind of sucks right now, so I'll have to use my kage-bunshin to help me."

Without waiting for an answer, she held out her hand and her double molded the chakra in her hand. When she felt it complete, her kage-bunshin moved in front of her. "Rasengan!"

Of course, the bunshin popped out of existence. She looked up to see the surprised faces of the two men. "Ehehe…do you believe me now?"

She could tell they were having trouble processing all of it, and she fidgeted. "Listen, I didn't _plan _on this, you know. I'm innocent, I swear! I was planning on _dying…_not that I _wanted _to, but I figured it was gonna happen. Bastard wanted to kill me…or I thought so, anyway."

_Why _had he done this, anyway? Had he been trying to send her back to the beginning of their friendship, when they were put in cell seven?

Most likely…but _why_ would he do something like that?

"You know this is_ very _unbelievable…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But you can monitor me, or whatever. But I _really _want to be a ninja, cos…well, I've always wanted to protect Konoha. This is my village, and like I said, I'd _die _before letting anything hurt my friends!"

The Sandaime frowned thoughtfully. "_If _what you're saying is true," he said slowly, "then you could be very helpful. Either way, you're right…you _do _need to be monitored. What rank were you…in your story?"

Naruto rolled her eyes. It was the _truth!_ "Um, I was…kind of rank-less, I guess. Technically, I never passed the chuunin exams, but I was a…sort of unofficial jounin. War broke out, and the chuunin exams got canceled a bunch of times, so we all got…unofficial promotions. I guess I was a genin, so…that's what I'd be now, I guess."

The Sandaime looked pensive for a moment. "Then it would make sense to put you on a team. We could monitor your movements, and you could train. If you do _anything _to make us doubt your loyalty, I will not hesitate to imprison you. Do I make myself clear?"

This wasn't the old man she once knew…then again, she'd never done anything to make him suspicious of her. He was Hokage-sama now; not Hokage-jijii.

"Yep."

He nodded and turned to the future Yondaime. "I understand your team is in need of a third genin for the chuunin exams?"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "You want me to take her into cell seven?"

_Cell seven?_

"Who better to watch and train her than the man who created the technique she just showed us?"

Minato sighed. "I don't like it, but I understand your reasoning."

Naruto's eyes widened. She was going to be trained by her hero!

By…her _father._

She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she turned to the man she'd idolized her whole life. "So…should I call you sensei?"

"Minato-sensei," he replied.

"All right, Minato-sensei," she agreed. Then, she addressed both of them. "Is there any place around here to get good ramen?"

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Ichiraku Ramen had just been built, but it was as good as it had been in _her _time. She only wished she'd had more money on her…another bowl (or ten) would've been great. But she still had to pay in advance for a place to live, and to buy food for a while. She'd be taking missions soon (probably D-ranked, since she was in a genin cell), so she'd have some extra money for ramen later…

Still, she hadn't had Ichiraku since Teuchi had died a year ago. Well…several years from now.

Jeez, this all was_ really _confusing.

And, for some unfathomable reason, Minato-sensei (how awesome and kind of scary was_ that?) _had decided to accompany her.

Okay, so the reason wasn't so unfathomable. He was supposed to be 'keeping an eye' on her.

"So, um…Minato-sensei," she began, liking the way 'Minato-sensei' sounded coming out of her mouth.

"Hmm?" He might've said more, but his mouth was full of noodly goodness.

"I…heard you were a seal master."

He swallowed. "No, I'm not. I'm working toward it, though."

Naruto suddenly felt strange…she was _sitting here, _talking to her future father, and she hadn't been born yet. She wasn't technically a jinchuuriki any more – Sasuke had unknowingly stolen the fox's chakra for her some time ago, and without chakra, the fox didn't really _exist _any more – and the kyuubi no youko hadn't attacked yet. She didn't know a _whole _lot about this time period, but she could only assume that Konoha wasn't in immediate danger from Iwa…she could _change _things.

She just didn't have a clue _how _to change them.

"Oh. Well…um, good luck? I know you'll be great."

Should she tell him about the fox? That would lead to questions, and the revelation of her parentage. That could either go _really _well or _horribly._

And…some part of her didn't really want to be born again. It would be weird to have _two_ Uzumaki Narutos running around Konoha, especially if Minato-sensei ended up using the same sealing technique. She knew next to nothing about seals, so she wouldn't be of any help _there._

_Could _she be born again, if she was alive already?

"Hey, Minato-sensei, I have another question. Do you have a girlfriend?"

He choked, and she giggled. "Don't worry, I'm not hitting on you. You're way too old for me, and that would be…really weird. We kind of look alike, you know. I could be your younger sister. I was just asking."

Minato-sensei shook his head, but he had a bit of laughter in his eyes when he said, "Couldn't tell you."

_Figures._

Minato-sensei, she thought, was pretty cool. She hadn't been told too much about him; he'd been known as the best Shinobi Konoha had ever seen, the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash, and the hero who saved Konoha from the kyuubi no youko. In person, he was more than a legend; he was a_ person._

It was a comforting thought. She now had a _personality _to put with the face.

Naruto was looking forward to seeing Kakashi-sensei and meeting the rest of his old team. She wondered what they were like; Kakashi-sensei had mentioned once that Naruto reminded him of a deceased teammate, Uchiha Obito, and that Obito had been a hero, dying for his teammates in the war. Other than that, she didn't know much about them. She didn't even know what _Kakashi-sensei _would be like at this point!

And it would be _her _team now, under Minato-sensei, and she was going to undertake the chuunin exams with them in a couple of months.

"Um, sensei…?"

Minato-sensei looked over at her.

"What's today's date?"

He frowned. "Today is October 16. Why do you ask?"

She sighed. "Today's the anniversary…or, whatever you'd call it…of my first day in cell seven. I was twelve…I think my teammate was trying to send me back to that day, but he did it wrong."

Minato-sensei didn't reply right away, but after a moment, he asked quietly, "Do you believe your own story?"

"No," she answered honestly. "Or rather, I don't want to believe it. As weird as it _sounds _to _you, _I can guarantee it's even _weirder _for _me, _because I'm actually _living _it. It's easier to believe I'm trapped in an illusion, but I have to face it…he did something stupid, even stupider than anything I've ever done, and I have no idea what happened to _him. _I don't even know he's alive. And as much as he made me angry…as much as he taunted me and insulted me…as much as he was a brooding asshole…he was my teammate, my rival, my friend, my _brother. _I would have died for him. I don't want him to be dead, because of that."

Minato-sensei's face was unreadable, and Naruto shifted nervously. She didn't know _why_ she was nervous…maybe because she was _here, _talking to the very person who'd inspired her so long ago, and she wanted to be acknowledged by _him._

He looked her in the eye, and she looked right back. Their eyes matched in color. So did their hair…Naruto had really gotten her looks from him. He smiled slightly. "For now, I guess I can trust you…but I'll still be watching you. Meet us on the bridge tomorrow at nine."

She smiled back. "No problem…I'll be looking forward to it."

She wanted to work with this…she _would _work with this. Everything was going to be different, this time around...she didn't have to worry about keeping things the same, because she would be stupid to waste this chance.

Naruto put down some money for her ramen and walked back toward the Hokage tower, before she turned. "Just remember this: my name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I will surpass you and become the best Hokage ever! Just you wait...my name will be in the history books! Remember it!"

Halfway to the Hokage tower, Naruto flinched. How could she have been such an idiot? Minato-sensei wasn't the Hokage yet!

**Don't mind me…I'm just a line break!**

She was an interesting kid, that was for sure. She looked like him…it was almost frightening how much they resembled each other. He entertained the notion that he was her father…but then he had to laugh at himself. Kushina, his spitfire fiancée, wasn't ready to have kids any time soon…and according to Naruto's story, she'd been born four years from now.

He didn't know _why _he believed her…but he did. He would be cautious, but he didn't sense any dishonesty from her…other than the information she skipped over (like her teammates' names).

Plus, she liked Ichiraku Ramen and called Jiraiya-sensei 'ero-sennin.' Her statement about surpassing him was a little weird...but maybe he'd been in the history books when she had first lived?

That would be cool.

Uzumaki Naruto…an interesting kid, all right. He just hoped she was the kind of interesting that would _help _Konoha, the village he loved and wanted to protect.

…Wait.

_Uzumaki?_


	3. Fool is Gold

Note: In this chapter, Naruto starts feeling the effects of her strange time-trip, meets her team, and draws parallels between the cell seven she was originally on and her current team, which is also cell seven. I just want to make this clear: Kakashi will NOT be making any changes because of her. But Obito will not be dying in this, either; he will ultimately help Kakashi learn the lesson that changed him in canon, but Naruto's usual attitude will make it harder for him to ignore it, since there are two people on his case. Also, I mentioned last chapter that Kakashi rarely talked about his past; that is why Naruto is so confused in the beginning of this chapter.

* * *

The alarm clock jerked her out of her dreamless sleep, and she tried to blink the sleep out of her eyes. She'd been sleeping soundly, something she hadn't done in years…she was fairly sure the numbers read ten o'clock. Or at least, she'd set it for ten. She had an hour before Kakashi-sensei would get to their meeting spot, and both she and Sakura had taken to setting their alarms to wake them an hour before he'd show up.

She didn't really want to get up just yet; that was okay, though, because she'd bathed the night before.

_Things on my list today:_

_Annoy Kakashi-sensei by calling him 'sensei,' and ask him if he said anything when he tells me for the hundredth time to call him 'sempai' or even just 'san.'_

_Annoy Tsunade-babaa by calling her 'babaa,' and let her know that I know she actually likes it. Steal her sake and hide it in her drawer…she'll never look for it in the place it's supposed to be._

_Pay my respects to Ichiraku-jiichan and the substance of life…ramen. May they rest in peace._

_Push for any news about Sasuke…_

Wait…

Naruto sat up sharply, realizing for the first time that she wasn't in her apartment, wasn't seventeen, and, more importantly, wasn't on time.

_Ugh, this isn't going to go over well._

She jumped up and threw on her clothes from yesterday. She'd need to buy new clothes today. She pulled on her shoes and ran to the door, pausing only to lock it on her way out and silently thanking her lucky stars that the Hokage had allowed her to get an apartment. She might've been_ later._

She was _never _late!

She grimaced.

_Damn it! Why didn't I write a note to myself before bathing last night? I would've been able to remember! Kakashi-sensei isn't my commander any more!_

She ran along the path, hoping her other two teammates had a sense of humor and Kakashi-sensei would still show up later than her. Even as she was running, she suddenly felt a devious grin spread across her face.

_Ha, maybe I'll just give him a taste of his own medicine. How'd you like that, sensei? You're going down, this time! Uzumaki Naruto won't back down from this! Our contest for today starts now…who can come up with a lamer excuse? I'll win!_

She almost hoped he _would _be there, because then she'd win…

Naruto blinked. She was even starting to _think _like her twelve-year-old self!

Her team came into view. _He _is _there, _she thought with a private snicker.

"Ack, I'm _soooo_sorry I'm late, but…um…you see, I got lost along the path of life, and while I was trying to find my way here, I had to step in and save a cute little kid from a stray kunai and take him home, but I got stuck in a laundry pile on the way and I nearly suffocated! But I'm usually _never _late, I promise! Well…" she trailed off, rubbing the back of her head. "Later than my sensei, anyway."

Naruto's new teammates were staring at her – Kakashi-sensei (no, not sensei any more) with something akin to Sasuke's scowl, the girl with bewildered exasperation, and the other boy – presumably Obito – with…_glee? _Minato-sensei's face was unreadable.

She laughed sheepishly. "Um, sorry. I won't be late again, I promise. And, um, I never go back on my promises, so…"

Was Kakashi-sensei (ugh, _not _sensei) miffed that she'd stolen his line, or was he truly upset that she'd been late? The latter wouldn't make sense, but…neither would the former.

"A_nother _slacker," he said disdainfully. Humph…what a bastard!

"I'm _not _a slacker! You're just stuffy! And my old sensei didn't care about time, anyway!" She had no idea why she had taken offense; maybe because he reminded her of ...Sasuke.

"Who was your old sensei," Minato-sensei asked, face still unreadable.

Naruto paused, and shifted her eyes into a sideways glance at Kakashi and said, "Uh, you probably know him. Always wears a mask, even in the baths…and his hitae-ite over his left eye, which he…lost…during a mission. He always walks around with his nose stuck in ero-sennin's dirty book, and he's well-known for his…uh…somewhat bad habits and lazy attitude. But he's one of the most amazing ninja I ever met or worked with."

Minato-sensei frowned, processing her statement. He studied her two male teammates for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. Naruto felt relieved for a moment, before something unsettling hit her.

"Minato-sensei," she began hesitantly, "my old sensei had an eye in his left socket, a gift from his dying chuunin teammate. It was, um…you know…_special."_

Minato-sensei stopped laughing abruptly and gave her a hard look. Then, he nodded once and addressed his team, "All right, guys, change of plans. After our first mission, we _were _going to take one or two more. Instead, we'll be training for the rest of the day."

Naruto let out an excited whoop. _She was going to be training with the Yondaime Hokage! _"Oh yeah, training! And…after we tire ourselves out…RAMEN!" She punched the air.

"You're a weird guy," her Uchiha teammate blurted out.

"Mm," she agreed, remembering how she used to do the same thing and how she hadn't usually meant to be rude. "And you wanna know what makes me a weirder guy than your average weird guy?"

Naruto grinned mischievously, not waiting for a reply. "I'm actually a girl."

Two of her teammates looked confused, Minato-sensei looked _am_used, and Kakashi-sensei (_no, _just Kakashi now!) looked much less than pleased with her antics.

…Huh? _Why?_

"You need to lighten up, man," she admonished. Maybe he had been different in his youth? Naruto suddenly felt stupid for using his old excuses. Now she just looked like an idiot. Honestly, who used those excuses except for his older self?

"Life isn't worth living unless you _live, _and you, unfortunately, remind me of a stiff. Whatever happened to team interaction, huh?" She frowned in his direction. "You're kind of reminding me of a guy on my old team, 'cept he had dark hair and was _seriously _an asshole. Even though we eventually could be somewhat civil toward each other…he was still a jerk. The only reason we even got along was because my sensei taught us that bonds and comrades were the most important thing, and I guess I took that to heart. I'm gonna have trouble making friends with you if you're gonna act like you are now."

The Uchiha looked as if he could jump for joy, and she figured he'd said the same thing several times.

"The _mission _is important," Kakashi said firmly. "Bonds are worthless, as you may lose teammates in order to-"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted with an irritated frown. "I heard something similar from my old teammate. And guess what? He betrayed me and my loved ones, and tried to kill me several times; he broke my neck once, and shoved his hand through my chest twice. The only reason I even survived was because of a great medic and my…uh…unnatural healing abilities. All because he thought bonds were useless."

What had happened to change Kakashi from this guy to _her _Kakashi-sensei in the future?

Minato-sensei coughed. "We need to get to the Hokage tower and get our mission," he said briskly. "We can introduce ourselves later."

Naruto had a strange feeling that Minato-sensei had wanted her to finish lecturing Kakashi. Yeah, he was a cool guy.

And she _really _wanted to meet the rest of her team…and get to know the Kakashi of _this _time period.

This was totally surreal.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

It was Naruto's turn to introduce herself; her teammates were interesting, all right, and…strangely familiar.

It was kind of unnerving, actually. They even had the same cell number!

"Okay! My name's Uzumaki Naruto. I like training, learning new techniques, ramen, my friends, and the color orange. I _especially _like Ichiraku ramen, because it's the best. But I also like cup ramen.

I don't like…hmm. I don't like it when people think they're better than others just because they are more accomplished, or because their family is well-known. I don't like being underestimated, and I _hate _the thought of giving up or going back on my promises.

My favorite things to do are…training, eating ramen, playing pranks and spending time with my friends. My goals are to be acknowledged as a person, not just a ninja or a…um…stereotype…and to become the best Hokage ever so I can protect everyone I care about!"

Naruto's introduction was met with several different facial expressions, and she rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Uh, I'm done now. That's everything."

This was almost nostalgic; she could just imagine Kakashi-sensei sitting on the post in the training grounds, and she could imagine Sasuke and Sakura in place of Kakashi and Rin.

Though, Rin wasn't a stalker-fan girl like Sakura had been. She couldn't tell where Obito fit…or maybe it was just Naruto who was out of place. After all, Naruto was the intruder in this situation.

Minato-sensei grinned and clapped his hands. "All right, then," he said cheerfully, and Naruto got a Bad Feeling. "I think, now that we know each other, we should get acquainted with each other's fighting styles. After all…you guys are a team, and it's important to work cohesively and to know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

Naruto eyed him. She did _not _like the smile on his face. "So…I want you all to spar against each other."

Naruto wanted to punch him, but he was her sensei and she was still under suspicion…that wouldn't be the best idea. She had _no idea _what would still work, and he knew that!

That was probably why he was doing this, she thought venomously. They all needed to be able to work in unknown situations. Still, it was vexing. She needed kage-bunshin to complete Rasengan, just like she'd needed_ last _time she was twelve. If her control was similar to that, she probably couldn't perform some of her more awesome moves. But she could make use of kage-bunshin…

She could work with this.

"All right, sensei," she said with a grin. "I'm ready."

"Let me tell you the rules," he said. "First, none of you are allowed to use ninjutsu other than the bare basics…kawarimi, bunshin, and…well, I _guess_ you can use henge, but I don't know how you could use it."

Naruto snickered softly and glanced at Kakashi. If he was still a pervert…

Minato-sensei shot her a questioning look, but didn't ask. "Other than that, this will be a taijutsu-only spar. No weapons, got it? This is only to get acquainted with your _fighting _styles; I don't want you to kill each other, and I will be testing Naruto on her ninjutsu after the spars are over, and accuracy tomorrow. Naruto, Rin, you're up."

Naruto moved to the center of the grounds, loosening up her shoulders and back. "All right, Rin," she called. "I don't know how you fight, but be prepared to lose!"

"Begin," Minato-sensei called out, and Naruto engaged her opponent. At first, their blows were tentative; they were both trying to get a feel for each other's style, strength, and movement.

Naruto noticed that Rin had gotten faster; she was now using chakra to speed up her movements. Naruto grinned and decided to even out the playing field. She caught up with Rin, looking for an opening. Still, she was losing.

_There…_

Rin had dropped her left shoulder during a kick aimed at Naruto's head, and Naruto ducked to her right and chopped the dropped shoulder. It wasn't enough, of course; Rin was a kunoichi. She could handle pain…or at least, Naruto _hoped _so. But the shoulder chop had only been a diversion, anyway.

Naruto would have thanked Lee for training with her, but he wasn't born yet (which was feeling really weird still); she nearly disappeared and appeared underneath Rin with a kick to her chin. She didn't need to go through with her usual moves; she had something else in mind.

There was always a chance Rin could get away from Naruto, so she jumped up and caught her, striking her in three different areas, rendering her arms temporarily useless. Tsunade-babaa and Sakura-chan had taught her where the pressure points were; that had been helpful numerous times.

As this was only a spar, Naruto decided to just keep Rin in her arms, and flipped to land on her feet. She grabbed Rin's arms and pinned them behind her back, as well as trapping one of Rin's legs with her own, rendering her immobile…if she remembered correctly, Rin had been a novice healer…she didn't want to take any chances with the pressure point technique.

Naruto glanced at Minato-sensei, who nodded, and Naruto let Rin go and helped her regain the use of her arms.

"Sorry," she said. She didn't know _why _she felt like apologizing; it just seemed like a good thing to do.

"For what?"

Naruto rubbed the back of her head. "I don't really know."

Rin laughed. "It was a spar, wasn't it?"

Minato-sensei paired the boys up and Naruto watched as Kakashi beat Obito _badly. _It was over fairly quickly; Obito wasn't a _bad _fighter – he was much better than Naruto had been her first time being twelve – but Kakashi was just _better _than him. Better than Sasuke had been.

She frowned. She had to fight the guy!

They took a ten-minute break, during which Kakashi recovered his energy and Minato-sensei explained what he'd observed during each spar. After he talked to Kakashi and Obito, he focused on Naruto and Rin.

"Rin, your strategy was good, but you expected Naruto to react the way most of your sparring partners have reacted. Naruto is a very unpredictable fighter, so expectations aren't good. Your form was good, for the most part, but you need to be able to recover when your opponent finds a weakness."

He turned to Naruto. "Naruto, you had problems keeping up until Rin showed a weakness you could exploit. Your idea of rendering her arms immobile was a good one, but she could've blocked you or moved a bit, and you would've been stuck. You need to be able to think ahead a little; you relied on instinct. You did a good job, but going in without a plan can get you killed."

Naruto nodded.

"All right," Minato-sensei said. "Naruto, Kakashi, are you guys ready to fight?"

"Yep," Naruto nearly shouted, taking her place opposite her new teammate. She'd show him…in any way possible! He was _so _not cool right now!

"Then begin."

Naruto had been watching through Kakashi's match with Obito, but she had no idea how to fight back. Because of that, she was _really _losing. She could take a hit, for sure, but she didn't exactly want to wait until he tired himself out. She was used to fighting _Kakashi-sensei;_this Kakashi was different, and she knew she'd need to make use of her basic ninjutsu.

He came at her quickly, and she replaced herself with a rock; she was _hoping _he'd ram into it or trip, but she didn't expect it. He was too good. A punch he'd dodged splintered a tree, but she had no time to feel satisfied with her level of strength at the moment.

Sure enough, he used the rock as a stepping stone and flipped himself over. Naruto brought her hands up in a seal and made five kage-bunshin. Four of her replications kicked Kakashi up, and Naruto flipped up; this was one of her favorite moves, even now.

"U! Zu! Ma! Ki! Naruto rendan!"

It would've been a great move, and _maybe _even beat Kakashi, but she'd only been beating up a log.

"Crap," she muttered. "Up…no. Behind…no. Right…no. Left…_there he is!"_

Naruto formed her hand seal again, forming thirty-five more bunshin. It was time to _end _this.

"All right, Kakashi, you're in for a world of hurt!"

She surrounded him and he immediately began destroying her bunshin, but she had made that many for a reason.

"Henge!"

Twenty naked Narutos surrounded her teammate and hung themselves off him.

"Mm, Kakashi-kun," one of them purred.

"Come play with us," another one said seductively, rubbing his masked cheek.

"Why are you just standing there, Kakashi-kun," a few of them pleaded. "Why are you being so mean?"

Meanwhile, the _real_(and fully clothed) Naruto had crept up behind him. With one hard punch to the back of the head (and a few from her naked bunshin for good measure), he was defeated.

Naruto doubled over, laughing. "Get a load of my Haremu no jutsu! Ha ha, I can't believe you're a pervert at this age," she cried. "This is_ awesome!"_

She felt some serious angry vibes behind her, and she turned to see an angry Rin. Naruto put her hands up in defense. "Hey, hey," she said, waving her hands. "I just used a weakness of his to distract him!"

"Stuff like that gives girls a bad name," Rin cried.

"Ack, I'm sorry! It's just my anti-pervert technique! Anyone who tries anything gets knocked out!"

Rin frowned, but lowered her hand. "I'll let it slide this time," she said, frowning. Naruto relaxed; she knew from experience that an enraged kunoichi was _not _something to mess with…or at least, a kunoichi angered because of something 'perverted.'

"It's his own fault for being a pervert anyway," Naruto muttered under her breath.

"Idiot! It is _not_ his fault that you used that horrible technique!"

Naruto rubbed her head where Rin had hit it. "Ow! Why is it that I always get hit? When everyone thought I was a boy, I got hit! Now that people know I'm a girl, I _still _get hit! Jeez, I'm not the one who passes out from perverted thoughts!"

Obito was laughing, at least. Minato-sensei was studying her thoughtfully.

"Naruto," he began, "didn't I say to only use the basics?"

Naruto frowned. "Yeah. I didn't use anything higher than what you said."

He shook his head. "You used kage-bunshin."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah. I completely forgot that's not basic…I mean…"

Minato-sensei looked skeptical.

"Um, I failed the graduation test three times," she said, embarrassed. "I couldn't do bunshin to save my life…actually, I still can't. Anyway, right after I failed for the third time, I was tricked by…um…I mean I learned kage-bunshin and my sensei passed me. I've used it since I graduated, so…it's basic for me."

Kakashi had rejoined the group by this time, looking torn between glaring at Naruto and averting his eyes. It was kind of amusing.

"That doesn't affect your chakra? You don't even seem tired," Minato–sensei observed.

"Nope," she replied, shrugging. "After I've been fighting for a while, it sometimes tires me out, but it's just like regular bunshin for me. I sometimes used to spar with myself; I'd make a couple hundred of them and have them all attack me. Since they can sort of think for themselves, it was a challenge, but…I'd rather spar with a different person, since I pretty much know myself."

Minato-sensei's eyes were almost comically wide.

"Um, it's not that I _wanted _to spar with myself," she said hurriedly. "I just…well, sometimes…people didn't really like me that much; at least, not until they saw that I could back up my words. The only things people knew about me were that I'm a stamina freak and that I created Orioke no jutsu right before I graduated, which turned into Haremu no jutsu when I learned kage-bunshin. I sparred with other people whenever I could. I'm not a slacker, really."

Minato-sensei frowned. "I didn't say you were."

Naruto shifted. She didn't like _this _kind of attention. "Well, shouldn't we talk about our spar now, sensei?"

He seemed to focus a bit. "Well, for starters, Naruto, your technique is lacking against an opponent like Kakashi. He is very precise; you look like you learned taijutsu from playground bullies and refined it. It's a good style against weak fighters or people who _expect _you to act a certain way, and you _are _very strong, which is a commendable trait in kunoichi your age. However, Kakashi can analyze your movements quickly, and raw strength will do nothing unless you can hit your opponent."

Naruto frowned, but didn't refute any of his claims. It was true, after all; her twelve-year-old body wasn't properly conditioned. She'd have to fix _that, _too.

Minato-sensei turned his focus on Kakashi. "You, Kakashi," he said sternly, "shouldn't have let Naruto's…technique…get to you. It _was_ distracting, I know, but if you'd stayed focused, you would've noticed Naruto sneaking up behind you and you could've fought back, and turned the tides in your favor. Your form is good, but you underestimated Naruto's…uh…creativity. Don't let your weaknesses control you, or people will take advantage of them."

Kakashi scowled, but said nothing. _Yep…he's like Sasuke. This is going to be hell, unless he's more open to change._

"Anyway," Minato-sensei continued in a lighter tone, "I think we should take stock of your ninjutsu…except the one you showed me yesterday."

Naruto frowned, confused, but then she understood. It would be difficult to explain how she knew his technique; especially since she'd already advanced it.

"All right. I know kage-bunshin, kawarimi, and henge, of course. Orioke no jutsu and Haremu no jutsu…people have been beaten by those a little too often for my liking, but it works. I also know a few A-ranked and B-ranked wind techniques, since my natural element is wind. I, um, advanced that technique I showed you yesterday to use the wind element, and I also advanced it to merge two together, making it bigger.

Let's see…I know a few C-ranked earth techniques, and Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu, because my first sensei and my second sensei taught them to me. I know Kirigakure no jutsu, but I hardly ever use it because I don't usually need it. I couldn't use lightning if it would save my life, and I'm terrible with genjutsu…I can't even break out of them, except when they're _really _low-level.

My chakra and stamina are way above average, but I'm not perfect at controlling my chakra. I can walk up trees and walls and walk on water, but it took me a while to get it. I…think that's everything."

Minato-sensei looked deep in thought. "Can you use all of those techniques _now?"_

Naruto knew what he was getting at. "I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "My body knows how to do them, but because of the…thing that happened to me that screwed up my chakra control, I don't know if I can do them yet. If you give me a while to train myself, I could probably do them, no problem. I can use my kage-bunshin, after all."

"Then you'll be training chakra control and getting your stats up to normal. You'll also be working with us on your taijutsu, which isn't that great…though you have potential, if you can…get back to normal.

Obito, you'll be working with Naruto on chakra control, and working with me and Rin on ninjutsu. You two will also join me, Naruto, and Kakashi in taijutsu practice.

Rin, with your natural control over your chakra, you would make a good medic, if that's something you want. If you'd rather not, then instead of learning two days a week at the hospital, you'll be joining Kakashi on those days for extra practice in genjutsu.

Kakashi, you will be working with Naruto on genjutsu; she says it's hopeless, and maybe that's true, but we can always work at it until she can at _least _break out of it. You will be joining the rest of us in taijutsu practice, and you'll also be taking missions the rest of us won't take, since you are a chuunin and they are not."

He looked at everyone sternly. "Our training schedule has been changed because of some…information that has recently come up, and I want you all to be in top form. Besides, the chuunin exam is in two months. Rin, Obito, Naruto will be the third member on your team, so I want you three to get acquainted with each other. Any questions?"

Naruto _really _liked her new sensei, and it wasn't _just _because he was her hero. He was a natural at making people feel equal, and she could tell that he cared about his students; at the same time, he knew how to take charge and make everyone understand.

Minato-sensei looked at the sky, and sighed. "Well, the sun is going to set in a few minutes. Tomorrow, we're meeting on the bridge at _eight, _and no one is going to be late, is that clear?"

Naruto rubbed the back of her head, a nervous habit she'd developed sometime during her academy days. She was embarrassed, and not just because she had copied her old sensei's excuses for _no reason; _she also really did hate being late.

"Then for now, you're all dismissed."

Everyone stood, and Naruto looked at Minato-sensei. "Sensei?"

He looked toward her. "Hmm?"

"Um, I thought that…uh…I'd ask if you could work with me on…_that _technique? I mean, not right this second, but…it was one of my best techniques, and the other variations helped me on a lot of missions."

Minato-sensei studied her carefully. "I'm going to need to watch you first," he decided, and Naruto knew he didn't just mean he needed to watch her perform it. He needed to make sure she wasn't going to betray them.

"Okay."

"See you _bright and early _tomorrow morning, Naruto."

She blushed. "I'm really _not _late, Minato-sensei," she said quietly. "I was just a little confused this morning. It's weird to be here."

"Just don't do it again," he said, and ruffled her hair a bit.

As he left and Naruto turned in the direction of her teammates, she saw Obito's face fall and his eyes on Rin's back.

_I know how _that_ is, _she thought grimly. _How many times did Sakura-chan turn _me _down, even though she thought I was a boy?_

"Hey, Obito," she called, catching his attention. He looked up, but didn't meet her eyes. "We should go get Rin and get something to eat. We're supposed to be a team, after all. Do you know where she went?"

His lips lifted into a (very) small smile. "She probably went home…she's probably got better things to do." The last part was said in a low voice.

"Better than getting to know her teammates? How is that _possible? _I don't know about you, but I'm totally awesome. Aren't you?"

He shrugged. "_She_doesn't think so."

Naruto slung her arm over his shoulder and started walking out of the training grounds. "I know how you feel, you know. On my old team, since everyone thought I was a boy, there were two girls…and I had a _huge _crush on the other girl. But she turned me down _every day, _even though she didn't even know I was a girl. She called me annoying, and she hit me a lot, and told me off for arguing with the guy on our team…even when it was him picking the fights. If he did something she thought was cool, she complimented him and told him how awesome he was. If _I _did the same thing, she'd yell at me for 'showing off' or 'copying him.' But I still liked her."

She removed her arm as they entered the village. "The point is, she used to hate me, just like everyone else. But after a…while, we became best friends. I got over my crush on her, but we were still friends…of course, that doesn't mean I didn't find anyone attractive. There was a guy I knew, a real lazy-ass, who was a genius and he was nice to me. But he died before I got to tell him how I felt. Just go for it; and don't beat yourself up if she turns you down. I'm sure she'll come around…and like I said earlier, life isn't worth living unless you _live. _Now…where does your Rin-chan live?"

Obito gaped at her, before shaking his head and blinking. "She lives this way."

"All right, then, we're going to go get her, and we're going to go get food, and I'm going to treat you guys to Ichiraku ramen because I have a little money to use from our mission this morning."

He led the way to Rin's house, and Naruto knocked on the door. After a moment, Rin answered it, looking surprised.

Naruto grinned foxily at her. "Heya, Rin! I've decided that you're going to let me treat you and Obito to ramen. Just think of it as a team-bonding activity!"

"I'm…"

"Oh, come on, Rin! I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer!"

"Um…well…"

"Okay, great!" Naruto grabbed Rin's arm and pulled her out of the door. "Let's get to Ichiraku before the sun sets!"

"Um…uh…_I'll be back later," _Rin called into the house, and Naruto closed the door.

"C'mon, guys, let's eat. I'm _starving."_

Her teammates looked slightly bewildered, but she just smiled at them. After they reached the ramen stand, Naruto sat on the end, Obito sat next to her, and Rin sat next to him. "So, what do you guys want?"

"Miso," Rin said quietly.

"Pork," Obito answered, still looking confused.

"Hey, old man," Naruto called brightly. "Three miso, two pork, and one shrimp, please!"

Rin's and Obito's eyes widened, and she laughed. "I usually eat more, but I won't have enough money until I've done more missions. What can I say? I love food. Now, I think we should actually _introduce ourselves,_instead of leaving it at our likes and dislikes. You guys are my teammates, and I want to be friends. So, what do you guys do when you get a free day?"

Naruto spent an hour and a half getting to know Rin and Obito, and by the end, she thought she could work well with them. She and Obito shared the same dislike of stuck-up jerks, and she and Rin both liked plants. Rin had decided to learn medical ninjutsu, and warmed up to Naruto; Obito liked to laugh, and Naruto was struck by their similarities. All in all, she liked her new teammates…except Kakashi. He was too much like Sasuke. But he'd get better, right?

Naruto lived by the Hokage tower, and Rin and Obito lived in different directions, so they all parted ways after dinner. Naruto walked with Obito a little after Rin left, and then said, "Hey…I bet she'll be able to appreciate you. Just don't give up."

"I guess," he muttered.

"Hey," she said sternly. "Where's your self-confidence, huh? Where's the guy who's gonna pass up Kakashi?"

He looked surprised. "Huh?"

"If you can't even get enough courage to talk to Rin, how are you gonna prove you're a good guy?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets, but looked determined. "I'll do it, I'm not afraid!"

"I didn't say you couldn't," she said with a grin. "I'm gonna go home now. Have a good night."

"Yeah…g'night," he replied.

As she walked home, she couldn't help thinking that they _were _alike, even in the crush department.

And he was a cooler Uchiha than any other ones she'd met. Much cooler than Itachi, anyway, and Sasuke...was different. But...yeah, she could work with this new team.


	4. Team Bonding

The story was completely unbelievable. The technique was something _no one _had heard of. And yet…he believed her.

Aside from Rasengan, the necklace, knowledge of Jiraiya-sensei's planned book series, and her casual mention of his _secret _goal to become a seal master, she had an air about her…it was just _easy _to trust her.

And he felt like he_ knew _her from somewhere.

It didn't take a genius to work out her parentage, if she was telling the truth. That…was scary. It also wasn't too hard to guess how things had turned out with his team…and apparently, he thought with a suppressed smile, Kakashi became Kakashi-sensei, who'd taken up some…rather entertaining personality quirks.

"_You probably know him. Always wears a mask, even in the baths…and his hitae-ite over his left eye, which he…lost…during a mission. He always walks around with his nose stuck in ero-sennin's dirty book, and he's well-known for his…uh…somewhat bad habits and lazy attitude. But he's one of the most amazing ninja I ever met or worked with."_

"_I'm _not _a slacker! You're just stuffy! And my old sensei didn't care about time, anyway!"_

So…Obito had developed his Sharingan, died (presumably in battle), and given his _eye _to Kakashi. Kakashi had developed Stupid Excuses, which seemed like it could be a contagious disease (if Naruto was any measure), and went on to be Naruto's jounin-sensei and someone she liked.

That said, her 'bastard teammate' was most likely an Uchiha – or at least, that would make sense, as she'd mentioned his dark hair, arrogant attitude, and clan cockiness. Hyuuga would also have fit the generic mold, but if Kakashi had a Sharingan eye, then he'd be a better teacher for an Uchiha.

He'd need to speak with her about everything, but he wasn't sure how to approach her…especially if he was right about her parents. But, she'd mentioned she'd been hated…why?

She seemed like a nice girl; a bit weird, what with the cross-dressing thing, but still nice. He'd been watching that first night, when she'd snuck right into her teammates' hearts and encouraged Obito…she sure had a way with people. She'd been training and taking missions with his team for only four days now, but she'd made a home for herself among them.

He might as well…

"Hey, Naruto," he called to her. She glanced back, and then turned to Rin. "Hey, I'm going to talk to Minato-sensei…I dunno what he wants, but…I'll come find you later."

Rin nodded and smiled a bit, and Naruto jogged back to meet him. "Yeah, sensei? What's up?"

"Well," he said carefully, "I think it's time we talked about a few things…and possibly started working on _that _technique."

Her eyes darkened, lit up, and widened, all within the space of a few seconds. "Um, okay," she said slowly. "So, I passed whatever test you were giving me?"

He shrugged and hummed noncommittally. "Let's get back to the training grounds, shall we?"

She nodded and followed him in what seemed to be uncharacteristic silence. Even now, after days of adjusting, she hadn't given up her orange clothing…she'd bought other outfits, of course, but they were still mostly orange (with hints of blue and black), and in a style similar to her first jumpsuit. He'd made the observation that, like her clothes, Naruto didn't like to be quiet and didn't like to be ignored.

"You seem to be adjusting well," he remarked casually, breaking the ice. She jumped up on the top of the middle stump and sat, looking around with an unreadable expression.

"It's a slap in the face," she murmured. "On my first genin team – which was also cell seven, funnily enough – there was an arrogant jerk, who thought he was better than anyone else, a kunoichi, who only looked at my teammate, and me, the loser…the outcast. The guy on my team treated me like crap, because I was the 'dead last' in my group, and he _was _better than me, at mostly everything. The girl on my team ignored me, or told me off for arguments and stuff, even if all I did was call him a bastard for insulting me. I look at this team, and I see my old team…so I guess I know how to fit in somewhat, because if you changed their names, they _could _be us. I know how it works."

Minato nodded, sitting on the post to the left of her. "What happened?"

She made a face. "He betrayed us and left Konoha for Hebi-kusotare, she decided to become a medic under Tsunade-babaa, and I went off to train with ero-sennin. When I got back to Konoha, I tried to keep my promise to Sa-her, and I failed every time. I couldn't kill him, because I promised her I'd bring him back _alive, _and Uzumaki Naruto never breaks promises…everyone knows that. That's one of the only two promises I've ever broken…the other was to become Hokage. I never got a chance to do that."

He watched as she drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them. He could practically _feel _her sadness radiating off of her, but her face and eyes were oddly bright. "Now, I have a chance to fix everything," she said fiercely. "I don't know how he did it, but he probably found some weird experimental technique Hebi-kusotare created, and used it on me. I can't ever be on that cell seven again, but I can make sure things don't happen the way they did before!" A determined grin spread across her face. "This is the promise I make in my new life: I will save them _before_ Hebi-kusotare hurts them, this time!"

Her thought process was surprising; in times of sadness and failure, most people would wonder what they could've done differently; Naruto had turned it around, and vowed to prevent a similar situation. A thought struck him.

"Hebi-kusotare?"

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Um, yeah. Orochimaru. He became a missing-nin after Hokage-jijii found out about some really creepy experiments, and started a village, Otogakure. After that, he came back, bit Sa-my teammate, and offered him power…but really, he just wanted his body, so he could, um, live forever."

"Who were your teammates?"

Naruto eyed him. "Why?"

"No reason," Minato replied with a shrug.

"Um, okay…the kunoichi on my team was named Haruno Sakura, and the guy on my team was…um, he was…" Naruto's eyes unfocused for a second.

"He was…?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," she murmured. "He kinda drove himself crazy…and _Hebi-kusotare,"_she spat, "just made it worse. Sasuke killed him in the end, but he didn't come back to us." She rested her chin on her knees and whispered, "He _wouldn't _come back."

Even now, she didn't cry. It was obvious she was hurting, but she barely showed it…and when she turned to him, a realistic-looking grin on her face, he had to ask himself what had hardened her.

"Anyway," she said with forced cheerfulness, "none of that is gonna happen. I'll make sure of it!"

He nodded; he'd get the rest of the story later. Now, he needed to know about _other_ things, including... "What can you tell me about…_my_ team?"

He didn't miss the way her eyes dimmed slightly for a moment. "Um, well, I don't know _too _much about it, but I can tell you what I know."

She adjusted herself to sit more comfortable on top of the post. "I guess I'd have to tell you a small story to explain why the story is scary for me. When I graduated the academy, I was…not exactly the most well-liked person in the village, and Sasuke was. I was also the worst in my class, in all senses. I was horrible with taijutsu, my skill with genjutsu was (and still is) nonexistent, and I only had kage-bunshin, kawarimi, and henge to get me by in the ninjutsu department. I was a loser, and the only reason I survived in the beginning was…because…I have _really _awesome healing abilities. Way above average.

I'm telling you this because my team worked like yours does…and I also, um, have a lot in common with Obito. He died…or dies, I guess, on a mission. Kakashi-sensei didn't give me details, but from what I've heard, it was his first mission as a jounin-commander – Kakashi-sensei's, I mean. I know Obito died to save Kakashi-sensei, and I can guess that he knew he'd die, and did it anyway. I would've done the same thing…even though I sorta hated Sasuke, I would've died for him, you know. That was what made Kakashi-sensei so different, I guess…I didn't even know he was like this, you know. I thought he was _always _a lazy guy who came at _least _two hours late to _everything, _except outside missions."

Minato had to smile at the thought of Kakashi using one of Obito's _horrible _excuses for – strangely enough – learned chronic tardiness, but hearing about his student's upcoming death was disconcerting.

"That isn't a good thought."

"No, it's not," she agreed. "It's a story I've always thought was really sad; even more now, because I know them personally. I've only known them for a few days, but I already care about them."

She sighed, and said quietly – as if she were talking to herself –, "I wonder…if I'd actually _died _one of those times…would Sasuke have changed at all, or would he have laughed, because I proved once and for all that I really _was _a loser?"

Minato's eyebrows rose. Had her teammate really been that cold? "Why do you say that?"

Naruto blinked, and shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I dunno. Maybe I'm just being stupid…yeah, that's it. He wouldn't have _laughed, _right? I mean…even _he's _not that cold! I mean, sure, he tried to kill me a bunch of times, but he _didn't, _even when he had chances. We were…um, we respected…he was my rival. He couldn't have laughed at that. He probably knew I'd heal…our fights were just, um, practice. For when he got to his brother."

Minato's brow furrowed, and he was about to speak, but Naruto cut off his unspoken sentence with a smile and a strange-sounding voice. "But now you know about it, so we can prevent it! We just have to train extra hard, and make sure none of it actually happens."

Minato nodded, and before Naruto could speak again, he asked, "What's this about healing abilities, and Sasuke's brother?"

He definitely caught the panic Naruto tried (but failed) to hide, and he frowned. "Just tell me the truth," he commanded sternly.

"Um," she began guiltily. _Why is she guilty?_

"I, uh, was…born, and, uh, there was…"

"Why don't you let me hear the story, and tell you what I think afterward?"

She flinched. Why?

"I'll be objective, I promise."

"All right," she said slowly, seeming to try to buy some time. "Um, on the day I was born, October tenth, there was…an attack on Konoha. Well, actually, it wasn't an _attack…_but our village was in the way, and lots of people died. It was the kyuubi no kitsune, and…uh…it was sealed into me. Um, that's where my healing powers come from.

And Sasuke's brother," she continued quickly, "killed his whole clan by himself in one night, and used his Mangekyou Sharingan to make Sasuke relive the experience for three days. Um, he told Sasuke to live by his hatred or something like that, and to get strong, kill the person closest to him to get the same eyes, and then come kill him. He was a loon, really…and he was, um, after me, which just made Sasuke angry, because his brother told him that he wasn't even worth killing, but he wanted me for my power. When he found that out, he took Hebi-kusotare up on his offer."

Minato would ask about the Uchiha clan later. "If you are a jinchuuriki," he began, and Naruto averted her eyes for some reason, "then why did you imply that people hated you growing up?"

She apparently hadn't expected this reaction. Hmm. "Um, well, they thought of me _as_ the demon, cos…well, they lost family and loved ones, and the demon was inside me, so they could only see the fox instead of me. Also, the, uh, Yondaime Hokage died, and they blamed me for his death."

"That's backward, don't you think?"

She looked sideways at him. "Maybe."

"Why _maybe?" _Naruto seemed to be avoiding telling _him, _specifically; she usually acted differently around him for some reason, anyway.

"Sasuke accidentally helped me one time," she began. "I was dying, and he somehow got inside my head…it had happened before, but…anyway, he did it again, and I have _no idea _what happened, because the demon's chakra was sort of clouding my mind and I couldn't think clearly…I didn't even recognize Sasuke. But when it was over, Sasuke was nearly dead and I couldn't hear the demon at all. His teammates got him away, but that's not the point…before he basically stole all the chakra from the fox and gave it to me – which he _wouldn't_ have done if he knew, because he would've wanted it for himself –, I would sometimes lose control. I nearly killed people close to me a couple of times. Sometimes I wonder…if I'd been stronger, or if I hadn't been so emotional…could I have kept the demon back? Could I have protected my friends, instead of hurting them? I'd finally found people who cared…and I hurt them. It took me twelve years to find acknowledgment…and I could've killed them."

He _had _to know; he couldn't imagine someone using another's child to bear that burden, but he wanted to hear it. "Surely your _parents _cared about you?"

"I like to think they did, but I never knew them," she said quietly, looking in the opposite direction. "They died the day I was born."

"Do you know who they were?"

Naruto jumped off the stump abruptly. "I need to go find Rin. We're going to have some 'girl time.' I'll see you tomorrow?"

Minato hopped off his stump and caught her shoulder lightly. "Naruto," he said quietly, "I'm not going to ask you to tell me again…but I'd like to know someday."

She nodded and walked away, but turned back. "My mom's name was Uzumaki Kushina," she answered. "And my father was the Yondaime Hokage, the best ninja Konoha has ever seen. Even before I knew he was my father, he was my hero. I wanted to be just like him."

Naruto took off running, but Minato didn't follow. So…she'd grown up without parents, surrounded by hatred…because _he'd _sacrificed her at birth…and this was how she'd turned out?

She wasn't a loser; not at all. He'd work with her on Rasengan…she deserved it.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto was glad that after she'd spoken with Minato-sensei, the only things that had changed were the training schedule and the feeling around him. He seemed more open to her; that was a good thing, since she _really _wanted to help prevent stuff from happening.

He'd announced yesterday that she'd be training her Rasengan with him…she thought privately that it would be beneficial to both of them, since he could help her _understand _Rasengan (ero-sennin hadn't been great with explanations), and she could work with him to advance the technique. It seemed that Minato-sensei hadn't even fully completed the first form of Rasengan; not that she was _better _than him, but she'd learned it after it had been completed. They could definitely help each other.

Today, cell seven had a free day (after they completed their daily D-rank mission, of course), since Kakashi was on a mission with another team and Minato-sensei was…well, she didn't know where he was, but by his happy expression this morning, she could guess.

She still hadn't met her mother, but she knew she would eventually.

Naruto, Obito, and Rin were going to eat together this morning, and the girls were going to collect Obito from his house so he wouldn't miss it – she'd finally found out where Kakashi-sensei had gotten his horrible excuses; now, every time Kakashi acted like a stickler, Naruto had to fight to keep from laughing.

Rin came into view, leaning against the Hokage tower, and smiling a bit. "Hey, Naruto," she called. "You're late!"

Naruto bristled. "I am _not _late," she cried in playfully offended tones. "You're early! Uzumaki Naruto is _never _late!"

"Except for that first day," Rin reminded her.

Naruto blushed. "Um, that was because my old sensei was, uh, not very punctual. I got into the habit of setting my alarm to wake me an hour after my sensei told me to meet him, and even though it took me a half hour to get ready in the morning, I'd still beat him by at least fifteen minutes."

Rin's mouth opened a bit and her eyes widened. "That's…your _sensei _was like that?"

A picture of Kakashi lecturing Kakashi-sensei about his awful sense of time popped into Naruto's head, and she snickered. Rin pursed her lips, confused, and asked, "What's so funny?"

Naruto grinned. "Well, you remember that crazy story I told on the first day?" Rin nodded, and Naruto continued, "Well, my sensei used to say things like that all the time. I got the idea from him…looks like he wasn't the only one to say dumb stuff like that."

"Hey, you think I'm dumb?"

Naruto and Rin turned, utterly shocked, to see Obito standing beside them, looking slightly hurt.

Naruto could only say one thing. "You're…_on time?"_

"You and Rin-chan told me to be here," he muttered. "It's not _that_ outrageous."

"Yes it is," Naruto and Rin countered at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"And no, I don't think you're dumb," Naruto said after she'd had a good laugh. "_You're _not dumb; just your excuses. I _can _imagine you doing all those nice things for people…but I _can't _imagine how it takes _that long _to do them."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, reminding Naruto once again of herself. "They're _true," _he protested.

Naruto just rolled her eyes. "Right," she 'agreed.' "Now…let's go back to my apartment and start breakfast. If I'd known you were going to be here, I would've just had everyone come to my place and started cooking. You really are surprising, Obito."

He grinned. "All right. Breakfast!"

Rin sighed exasperatedly. "Is food _really _that important?"

"_Yes," _Naruto and Obito said together.

"At least, in the morning," he added.

"Nonsense," Naruto disagreed. "Food is important _all _the time! Especially ramen…the food of the gods…mm, ramen…"

And with that, she turned on her heel and led her teammates back to her apartment. They followed, probably still confused about her mood shifts. Especially since she'd started singing a song of her own design:

"_Ramen, ramen, it's so great_

_That noodly goodness…mm, I can't wait_

_For breakfast, for lunch, and for dinner too_

_A world made of ramen would be too good to be true_

_But if the world was ramen…"_

Naruto paused for a moment, thinking, before ending with

"_I'd be happy for the rest_

_Of my life, cos ramen is the absolute best!"_

She'd finished her song by the time they'd made it to her apartment, and Rin coughed quietly. "Um, Naruto?"

Naruto was yanked out of her fantasy-world made of ramen, and unlocked her door. "Hmm?"

"Are you…uh…feeling all right?"

As a matter of fact, she wasn't, but _Obito _didn't need to know why. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you're scaring us with your freaky mood swings," Obito blurted out.

Naruto turned toward him, a _very _scary look creeping onto her face (the same one she'd practiced in the mirror after seeing Yamato-taichou for the first time…though it didn't have quite the same effect without the flashlight). "Would you care to repeat that, _Obito-kun?"_

He looked a _tiny _bit scared. "Um, I said, you're scaring us? And having, um, freaky mood swings?" He ducked his head, obviously expecting her to hit him.

She wasn't called the most unpredictable ninja in her first younger years for _nothing. _"Oh, okay," she chirped. "I just wanted to make sure I heard right."

She enjoyed seeing their dumbfounded faces; it felt _good _to prank people again!

"By the way, Rin…I need to ask you something. I was gonna ask on the way to pick up Obito, but he was obviously on time. So…um, Obito, you can start breakfast."

"But I…"

"Thanks so much, I appreciate it! Rin, would you come with me to my room please?"

Rin looked confused for half a moment, before Naruto gave her a _Look _and said quietly, "We can't talk about…this…in front of a _guy."_

Rin practically pulled Naruto into the bedroom. Naruto sighed and stayed standing, fidgeting a little. "Um, I was wondering if you…had anything?"

Rin nodded, but asked, "Didn't you ever have this problem before?"

Naruto shook her head. "Um, Tsu – I mean, there was one other person who knew about my…gender, and since she was a medic, she g-told me she'd give me a shot once every few months that prevented this kind of thing. I'll get it right after this time, but I guess something happened to screw my body up, since I've never…had this problem."

It was true, sort of; she hadn't started until the age of fifteen, last time, because of her physical training. The technique had obviously messed up her body, too.

"Well, it's not exactly _screwed up; _after all, you're a girl."

She decided not to explain.

"Well, anyway…um, do you have anything on you?"

"Yeah. I always carry stuff on me, in case something like this happens."

"Thanks, Rin, you're a doll," she said, relieved. Rin just handed over a box and Naruto took it, grabbing a change of clothes and other necessities.

After she got back from the toilets, Naruto found Rin and Obito standing close together in front of the stove, discussing the proper way to prepare natto and keeping an eye on the rice. Naruto discretely slipped the box into Rin's pouch and smiled in thanks.

Rin turned back to the stove and Obito. They'd gotten closer in these last few days; Rin still wasn't looking at him the way he wanted, but she _was_ spending more time with him. Naruto felt a strange wave of jealousy; she couldn't help wondering if things would've turned out differently, in her old life, if Sasuke had supported her like she'd supported Obito. But she squashed it; she couldn't go back and change anything now, and feeling sorry for herself wouldn't do anything.

"I personally like karashi mustard," she said, joining the conversation. "And soy sauce."

"_See," _Obito said happily. "Naruto likes it too."

"But karashi mustard is _gross," _Rin protested, wrinkling her nose. "How can you guys eat it?"

"How can you _not_ eat it," Naruto and Obito asked at the same time. They looked at each other, and the whole team laughed.

"Tell you what," Naruto decided, still laughing. "We'll divide it into two parts, and you can prepare it how _you _like it, Rin, and Obito and I can eat the _good _kind."

"How did I not think of that," Obito mused.

"Idiot, _I _said that before Naruto came back!"

Naruto laughed as Obito blushed a little. She already felt a sort of friendship with her teammates; she could see Rin becoming a sister-figure, and Obito…well, she wasn't sure how he fit in yet, but she liked him.

Now...how were she and Minato-sensei going to keep him from dying?

* * *

Hmm, quick note: it IS possible for a girl to start that late. I personally didn't until I was sixteen; hardcore athletes tend to be later than average girls, because their bodies are being conditioned constantly, and I was definitely a hardcore athlete, so I know from experience. 

Also, I just realized that I've been saying things like 'Hebi-kusotare.' I should probably post some kind of translations here, so people who aren't familiar with Japanese don't get confused. In my stories, I try to use as little Japanese as I can, because I figure they're not randomly changing languages, so why should I? However, things like 'Hebi-kusotare' just work better in here.

'Hebi' means 'snake,' and 'kusotare' can mean 'bastard,' 'shit-head,' or some other vulgar or rude term like that. I know it's common in the Naruto fandom to write 'teme,' but I have no idea why; the closest word I've heard to that is 'temee,' which is a loose term people use to call someone anything from 'son of a bitch' to just 'you.' However it's used, 'temee' is used in a rude or vulgar sense, and it's only used if it's directed at someone.

Natto is common in traditional Japanese breakfasts, and I figured that they'd opt for something traditional if they were all having a nice breakfast as a team. It's also common for Naruto to ONLY eat ramen (in the Naruto fandom), but it's not true at all; he often eats other things. He (or she, in this case) just LIKES ramen a LOT.

The honorifics/suffixes are common; 'sensei' means 'teacher' or or 'doctor,' so their jounin teachers are obviously called '(teacher's name)-sensei.' 'Chan' and 'kun' are suffixes used as familiar expressions. 'Kun' literally translates to 'boy,' but it's often used by girls to show affection to boys. 'Kun' can be used for girls, however, if they are at a lower level than the speaker. 'Chan' is commonly used by boys to show affection to girls. I think that's everything for now; just let me know if there's something else I need to translate, and I'll do it.


	5. The Story

This is basically a filler chapter, but it's needed...it's got some plot points mixed in, but mostly it's just a way to flesh out Naruto's and Rin's relationship with each other (and no, it's not romantic). Also, someone asked in a review if Naruto's hair was the same...and in here, I made it clear that it is. Basically, you guys, Naruto looks the same as in canon...except she's got a small chest underneath the baggy clothes. That's why I haven't really described her; it would have been pointless. If you want to know what twelve-year-old Naruto looks like, go read the manga or the anime. ((grin))

* * *

Rin knew she wasn't a genius ninja. Despite her natural excellent chakra control, she wasn't like _Kakashi-kun, _who was great at practically everything. However, she _was _sharp, and she knew when someone was hiding something. 

Like Naruto, for example.

Minato-sensei didn't seem to be worried, and he seemed to know more than the rest of the team; she was still curious. It wasn't that she didn't _trust _Naruto anymore; the new girl hadn't quite earned her trust in the first place. It was just too dangerous to keep secrets from teammates and despite Naruto's forward, cheerful nature, Rin felt as if she didn't know the girl at all.

Which was why she'd kicked Obito out of Naruto's apartment after breakfast this morning and demanded Naruto spend 'girl time' with her. They'd been eating together – and spending the morning together – nearly every morning for the last week and a half, at Naruto's insistence, so he'd been confused and (she suspected) just the tiniest bit hurt. She'd explained that girls just needed to spend time alone with each other sometimes, and he'd left silently after a questioning look at Naruto. Naruto had been directing that same look at _Rin, _and she'd resisted the urge to smack both of their heads together. Honestly, they couldn't both be _that _thick!

She was currently pulling Naruto back into the apartment by her forearm, silently pleading for strength as Naruto shouted, "Hey, what's going on? We were having _fun!"_

Rin led Naruto to the table and sat down, pulling Naruto with her. "I think we need to have a little chat, you and I," Rin said commandingly, and Naruto paled.

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it. It was Kakashi-sensei, I swear!" Naruto reddened and corrected herself. "I mean…not –sensei. I, uh, keep forgetting I'm on a new team now."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Kakashi-kun may be a genius ninja, but I can't see him taking on a team of _genin, _like us…" She sighed. "What made you call him that?"

"Um…"

Was she just going to _leave _it at that? "Um _what?"_

Naruto shrugged sheepishly. "My old sensei's name was Kakashi, so…it just came out. He was the one who used those crazy excuses for always being late, and who did…other weird things. I, uh, used to annoy him by blaming stupid things on him. I just slipped up, that's all."

She was lying for some reason.

"Oh, really?"

Naruto shifted and looked away. "Um, yes."

"Can't you just tell me? I don't think it'll be a big deal…unless you're hiding information from your teammates on purpose," Rin said politely, with a hinted threat underneath.

_I don't trust your motives yet._

Naruto flushed and looked at the ground, tapping it with the fingers on her left hand. "I, um, don't know if I _can _tell you. Uh, Minato-sensei knows, and Hokage-jijii knows…I just think it would be a little weird if I told, uh, you guys."

Rin frowned. "If sensei and Hokage-sama believe you're loyal to Konoha, then I'm going to trust them…but…it would be _nice _if you could share stuff with us. Or at least with me…I don't know if Obito could keep his mouth shut."

She laughed, but Naruto frowned. "Why do you say that?"

Rin blinked. "I wasn't being mean," she explained. "It's just that he always says things without thinking. He's annoying and tiresome like that."

Naruto's face was dark. "On my old team," she began in a low voice, "my teammates treated me like that. To my male teammate, I was only an annoyance; someone who would only get in his way. Because I was last in the class, everyone called me stupid. They said I was too loud. They sometimes ditched me, because they thought they could do better without me."

She clenched her fists. "My female teammate, who was the person I liked, would ignore me or yell at me for arguing with the other guy, even if I only told him to shut up when he was calling me names or telling me how stupid I was. I had to work _hard _for acknowledgment from my teammates."

Naruto's fists unclenched and she sighed. "After the guy on my team betrayed us and tried to kill me for the first time, my crush and I got closer. She became a sister to me…but it took me failing that mission and almost dying for her to see me as a friend to cherish."

She turned and met Rin's eyes, refusing to let the tears Rin knew were there surface. "I wonder…if you had been in her place, and Kakashi had been in my male teammate's place, and Obito in mine…would you have waited that long to accept him? Would you have begged him to take on an A-rank mission as a genin, knowing he might not come back?"

Her pained voice lowered, almost to a whisper. "How would you remember him, if he died for you?"

Rin's eyes widened as the double meaning behind Naruto's words hit her. That had all happened to Naruto? And - was she acting like that toward her teammate? She didn't _dislike _him; he was a nice guy, if a little trying at times. How _would _she remember him…and would he really _die _for her?

"He would do it," Naruto continued in a stronger voice, as if reading Rin's thoughts. "I can tell he loves and cherishes his teammates. Every time I see how cell seven – you, Obito, and Kakashi, that is – works, I feel sad. If Obito received the same injuries as I have in the past…he'd die. There would be no chance of saving him, even with the help of the best medics the world has to offer, he'd die. And he'd die without knowing if you cared as much about him as he does about you. Is that what you want?"

Rin shook her head mutely.

"Then…show some respect…_please. _Even the 'loser' on the team deserves that…and if you don't, then I refuse to work with you. I won't stand around and watch someone else go through that hell."

"I…I'm sorry," Rin choked out, without really knowing why.

"Don't apologize to_ me," _Naruto replied. "You've been nothing but fair to me since I got here. I'll make you a deal…I'll tell you about myself, if you promise to accept him for who he is, and don't say things like that…even if he's not around, or if you're kidding. I only got by so well because I was used to being called names and being ignored, since it happened my whole life."

Rin nodded slowly. It was easy to accept Naruto as a great kunoichi, and maybe even a genius; after all, she knew more ninjutsu than even Kakashi-kun, and her taijutsu had improved immensely in the two weeks she'd been with cell seven. Rin remembered Naruto saying she'd failed the academy three times, but she hadn't thought anything about it.

She supposed Naruto knew what she was talking about…it was just hard to take in. She hadn't _meant _to be hurtful; not at all.

Naruto reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing it briefly before dropping it and smiling reassuringly. "I know you didn't know," she said. "That's why I mentioned it, so it won't continue. He's a cool guy; you should definitely give him a chance. Maybe go on a date with him or something."

Rin's eyes widened. "A…date?"

"Yeah, sure, why not? I mean…during the times where I'm training alone with Minato-sensei, and Kakashi's on a different mission, you two could still spend time together. You don't need me to have fun!"

Rin detected a little jealousy in Naruto's voice. She was puzzled, for a moment, before asking slyly, "Don't _you _like him?"

Naruto's eyebrows shot up and her face colored. "No! Well, not like that, anyway. Why would you say that?"

"Because your blush would suggest otherwise," she answered.

Naruto scowled. "That's not why I'm red," she muttered. "I think _you_ should go out with him. The person I liked…the _people _I liked…both of them are dead."

Rin frowned, both in sadness and in thought. "Hey, Naruto," she began slowly, "I have something to ask you. Why do you keep talking about your past as if you've lived longer than twelve years? Even a mature person wouldn't have loved two people like that in such a short time."

Naruto tensed minutely, but Rin caught it. "Are you gonna promise to do what I asked?"

"Yes."

Naruto caught her eyes. "One thing everyone knows about me – or at least, all my old comrades knew about me – is that promises mean a lot to me. So don't promise anything you don't think you can follow through with."

Rin nodded. "I promise."

"All right then," Naruto replied, and stretched her legs out. "Why don't we make bentou or something while we talk? We can find Obito afterward and we can all eat together."

"Um, sure."

"Great, let's get started."

Naruto jumped to her feet and stood at her sink, gesturing to Rin. "C'mon, I'll take the gyoza and the tempura if you'll take onigiri and taiyaki. We'll talk while we work."

Rin quickly joined Naruto in washing her hands, and Naruto handed her the jar of umeboshi they'd made several days before. "I figured we could use that for the onigiri since we all like it."

Rin had a suspicion that Naruto didn't like to sit still, and would rather talk while she worked; it didn't matter _what _she was doing, as long as she was doing _something._

Naruto set her water bowl on the small counter space they had to share and got to work on the gyoza. "I'm going to ask you not to talk about this to anyone except Obito and Minato-sensei," Naruto began, working her hands rhythmically. Yep, she wasn't a sitter.

"All right."

Rin poured the rice into the bowl and began stirring as she listened to Naruto's story.

"Um, I guess you could say I'm…like…sixteen years younger than you guys, but I'm also a few years older. I was born on October tenth, four years from now, and on that day, the village was attacked by a nine-tailed demon fox. The fourth Hokage gave his life to seal it into me, and I was supposed to be a hero, I think…or at least, that's what Hokage-jijii told me. But since the fox hurt a lot of people, they only saw me as the demon, and they hated me."

Rin stirred the rice, listening interestedly – even though Naruto's tale was already starting to sound outrageous.

"Anyway, other kids were told to avoid me, and people yelled at me to get away…um, a friend of mine had it much worse than I did, in his village, so I consider myself lucky; no one tried to kill me. Or at least, not that I remember, and if they did, I don't _want _to remember.

When I was at the academy, the teachers refused to teach me…all except Iruka-sensei, who actually got mad at me if I ditched. That year was when I seriously upped my pranks; I guess I just liked the attention, since no one ever acknowledged me. I figured, if I did stupid stuff, people would laugh at me instead of glare. The fourth Hokage was my hero, and I wanted to be just like him, even before I understood what he'd done…everyone told me he'd just killed the fox.

After I failed for the third time, I was feeling really sad, and Mizuki-sensei came by, and told me that if I stole a scroll from the Hokage tower and learned a technique by the time he found me, I'd pass. But he was only trying to get the scroll for himself."

Rin emptied the water and refilled the bowl, while Naruto put a pan on the stove. "I didn't know about the trick, because I really wanted it to be true. Iruka-sensei found me before Mizuki-sensei did, and then Mizuki-sensei found us both, and tried to kill me and Iruka-sensei. He told me that I _was _the demon, and I ran off with the scroll. Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei followed me, and when they lost my trail because I was just hiding in the trees, Mizuki-sensei started going on about how I was going to take the scroll for myself and destroy Konoha.

It wasn't true, of course, but I didn't come out of hiding yet. Then, Iruka-sensei stood up for me, and I came out of hiding, showed them my kage-bunshin no jutsu, and beat Mizuki-sensei up. Iruka-sensei passed me, and then I joined cell seven."

Rin looked up as a thought struck her. "Um, I'm not sure if I believe you, or anything, but you said Kakashi-sensei earlier…"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, that's him. I was really shocked to find out that he was…kind of an ass during _his _time in cell seven. I mean…he's really uptight and…stuffy. And he's got all these weird ideals…jeez.

_My _Kakashi, Kakashi-sensei, was really cool, even though he kind of pissed me off at first. He always came late for _everything, _except missions outside the village. He'd just show up at least two hours late, like we hadn't been waiting there forever."

Rin laughed at the thought of Kakashi-kun acting like Obito. It just didn't fit, in her mind. Even if Naruto's story wasn't true, it was still entertaining. "What happened with _him?"_

"Hehe, we took a test to see if we could be genin…he had two bells, and we had to get them. My male teammate and I were both too prideful to ask for help, and my female teammate…well, she fainted twice. Once from being afraid of a genjutsu – she saw our teammate dying – and once when she saw his head sticking out of the ground and talking to her. Kakashi-sensei had used an earth technique to pull him under."

Naruto took the pan off the heat and took out the eggs. "In the end, we all failed…and I was tied to a post, because I found the hidden lunches and tried to eat one. He caught me, of course, and he said we'd all get one more chance, but they couldn't feed me _anything. _My male teammate said I'd only be more of a bother if I was weak, so he gave me some food, and my female teammate gave me some food too, because _he'd _given me some and she wanted him to notice her.

Kakashi-sensei popped out of nowhere, scaring the crap out of us, and told us we passed, with this weird face he makes…we somehow know he's smiling, even though his mask never comes off.

After that, we went on a whole bunch of boring D-rank missions, and my male teammate was…still a bastard, my female teammate was still his number-one fan, and I was…well, the loser. But we got our first C-rank mission, outside the village, and it turned B-rank quickly because our employer had lied to us. Then it turned A-rank when this creepy missing-nin showed up with his apprentice. We trained there, and then we confronted the two nin, and my male teammate jumped in front of a whole bunch of senbon meant for me. I was mad at him, because I would've recovered, but he only told me not to die and then I thought he died.

Um, that was the first time the demon's chakra broke out, and I almost destroyed the apprentice…but then I saw his face, and I knew I'd met him before. Anyway, he basically committed suicide, the missing-nin died…"

Rin heard Naruto's voice shake, and she wondered why. They'd defeated their opponents, right?

"That was the first time I'd seen anyone die, and it was horrible; I knew that if Haku hadn't been Zabuza's apprentice, we could've been great friends. Then Zabuza died, after he realized that Haku was precious to him after all. I sometimes wish they hadn't died…"

Naruto cleared her throat and started frying her prepared food. "Anyway, after that, my teammate and I were closer…and not, at the same time. I wanted to beat him _so bad, _because he was from a well-known clan and was considered a genius, and I didn't ever want to be left behind. I wanted to prove that I _could _be a good ninja, and that I was worth something.

We got nominated as rookies to take the chuunin exams…actually, all of the ones who graduated with my team were nominated. During the second part, we were all in training ground 44, and-"

"You mean…the _forest?"_

"Yep, that's the one. Anyway, Hebi-kusotare…I mean, a very creepy missing-nin…came and told my teammate that if he wanted true power, he'd have to come find him. He gave him a bite on his neck, which turned into a seal…and it messed with my teammate's mind. His brother had slaughtered his whole clan, and my teammate wanted revenge."

Naruto took the pan off the stove and cleaned it while Rin finished making the taiyaki. "He betrayed Konoha and left us, and I went on a training trip. When I got back, we – my only teammate and I – tried to get him back, but he was too powerful and he tried to kill me again. His brother was after me for the demon, but my teammate didn't know about the demon, so he thought his brother was after me for a power I had naturally, and he was angry because his brother had told him he wasn't worth killing. Hand me those dividers, will you?"

Rin handed them over wordlessly.

"Anyway, as I was saying, we tried and tried to get him back, but we failed each time. He kept trying to kill me, but he never succeeded…obviously. Finally, when we were seventeen, we were fighting one-on-one, and I was ready to die…because I just couldn't kill him. Aside from my promise to bring him back to Konoha _alive, _I couldn't kill him like that…he was my rival, my brother. My precious comrade. So I prepared for death, but…he did this funky technique _I _think he found on one of Hebi-kusotare's scrolls from his creepy experiments, and here I am. I think he must've tried to send me back to the day we first got onto the same team, but he…overshot? So I ended up here."

Rin couldn't see how all of this could possibly be true; after all, there _was _no technique to send people back in time. Of course, she didn't know _every _technique, but it wasn't feasible. Too much could go wrong.

On the other hand, Minato-sensei and Hokage-sama believed her…so Rin thought she should believe, too. She wanted to know a few things.

"Um, your teammates…in your story…what were their names?"

Naruto set the last box aside, and began to wash her hands. "Haruno Sakura, and…Uchiha Sasuke."

Rin sucked in a breath. If this was true, then…

"What happened to…_my_ team?"

"You and Obito became chuunin…probably this year, since Kakashi-sensei was thirteen when he led you two on his first mission as a jounin-commander. I never met you…and when I met Kakashi-sensei, he only had one natural eye…and the other socket had a Sharingan eye in it."

Rin's eyes widened of their own accord. "And…and Obito?"

Naruto looked at her with an unreadable expression. "Do you remember the question I asked you earlier?"

Rin blinked furiously, pushing the heavy sensation in her eyes away. "That's a horrible story."

Naruto nodded. "I know."

"What about…Minato-sensei? What happened to him?"

Naruto laughed sharply, and it didn't sound happy at all. "He sealed a demon fox into his newborn daughter, dying in the process."

Wait...Uzumaki Naruto. Wasn't Minato-sensei's fiancée's name Uzumaki Kushina?

Rin's stomach churned, and she picked up two of the boxes. "Come on…let's go get Obito and eat lunch."

Naruto smiled and took the third one. "Yeah, let's go."

Rin left Naruto's apartment, waiting for Naruto to lock the door.

"Thanks," Naruto said quietly.

Rin frowned and asked, confusedly, "What for?"

Naruto walked ahead and replied, "For not feeling sorry for me. That's one of the worst feeling in the world…knowing someone is only paying attention to you because they pity you."

Rin had a _lot _to think about.

**This is a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto had specifically picked today to suggest eating lunch as a team; Minato-sensei was training Rasengan with her, and Obito would be left with Rin. But now, she felt…a little sad. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted someone to care for her like she'd cared for Sakura-chan, and like Obito cared for Rin. She pushed away the thoughts; this was _no _time to be selfish. She had a future to prevent, after all.

Naruto, Rin, and Obito were sitting in a sort of triangle, enjoying their lunches. Rin looked to Naruto and asked, "Naruto, why do you keep your hair like that?"

Naruto put her hands on her head. "Um, that was random. Why do you ask?"

Rin wrinkled her nose. "It's spiky and all over the place…and it's a boy's cut."

Naruto scowled in mock-irritation. "This hairstyle is the _best," _she protested. "It's never in my face, and…well, it made me look like a boy."

"Well, you _do _look like a boy," Obito pointed out helpfully.

"Thanks for telling me; I didn't know," Naruto countered dryly. "Actually, I'm happy about that; I _wanted _to look like a boy."

Rin cocked her head to the side and Obito raised his eyebrows. "Why? I mean…you've never explained that."

Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Um, well, I _could_ tell you some very true things…how I was afraid to be a little six-year-old girl, living on my own, in a place where people hated me…or how I wanted to show that I could be just as powerful as the men. But the truth is…I didn't want to go through kunoichi training. It sounded _boring…_and even though I love plants and gardening, I _hate _having to make cute things and…act like a girl. I just wanted to be a powerhouse ninja."

Rin giggled a little, and Obito laughed loudly. "Wait…so you pretended to be a boy because you didn't want to learn _flower arranging?"_

Naruto gave him a dark look. "That is _not _a laughing matter, Obito. Do you know how _boring _that is? I tried it once, but I gave up after the first flower. I like taking care of the plants; I'll leave making bouquets to the girls who would rather do infiltration missions. I mean…Rin, how many times have _you _had to arrange flowers on missions?"

"Well…never."

"See? That's my point. It's lame that we have to split up the girls and guys just because some girls don't like to roughhouse. If they don't want to get dirty and fight with their comrades, then they shouldn't become ninja! I hate when girls join the academy because they want to be with the boy they like."

"That's a nice story, Naruto," Minato-sensei's voice said from behind her. "But it's time to get to the training grounds."

Naruto grinned at Rin. "Have fun, you guys. I'll meet you guys at the tower when it's time to take another mission. Don't forget to train; we don't want to be slacking this close to the chuunin exams!"

She pretended not to notice the suspicious look on Rin's face, and instead followed Minato-sensei to the usual training grounds.

"I see you're playing matchmaker," he said amusedly. "That's _interesting."_

Naruto wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, yeah. He'll make her happy, you know. Anyway, let's get to training, Minato-sensei!"

He nodded and looked her over. "You've been training hard."

"Of course! I have to be strong if I want to save everyone."

"You can't save_ everyone," _he said quietly.

Naruto glared at the ground. "I _can," _she said fiercely. "I know what's coming, and I'm going to stop it."

Minato-sensei was silent for a moment, before smiling and asking, "How far have you gotten?"

"I can do it with one hand again," she answered.

She _would _save everyone! She would _not _give up.


	6. Sunset

"You know what?"

Obito looked at Naruto from his position on the tree. "What?"

"I used to wear goggles, too."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

They'd had the free day to themselves; Rin was at the hospital, Minato-sensei was…somewhere, and Kakashi was on a mission. They'd decided to walk around and find something fun to do, and they'd somehow ended up having a contest, to see who could do the strangest things while hanging onto the trees with chakra.

Naruto let herself slide under her branch and hung upside-down by her feet, doing what looked like a wiggly dance. It did look weird. "Well…for a few reasons. The first one was that they were a present from Hokage-jijii, and I'd never gotten a present before. I also wanted to hide my eyes, for two reasons. When people decided to speak about me, they usually said that I had the 'eyes of a demon' or something like that. Um, and when I was younger, I, uh, was kind of a baby. I didn't want anyone to see my tears, because seeing them would just make it worse. Then, people would look happy…but they were happy because I was hurting. I wanted to look strong…like none of it mattered to me.

The day Iruka-sensei gave me his hitae-ite was the last day I ever cried because of something hurtful or scary, because I made a promise to be strong for my precious people. Which was…Iruka-sensei, and Hokage-jijii, but I also promised to find more people to care for. And Uzumaki Naruto _always _keeps her promises."

Obito was a little surprised by her explanation; she didn't seem like the type to cry. He pulled a face; he didn't like that about himself, either.

Naruto had finished…wiggling and kicking her feet, and was now hanging onto the bottom of the branch with the palms of her hands. "Have you ever thought about swinging on tree branches?"

That was another weird thing about her; she would be completely serious occasionally, but for the most part, she was easy-going and…random.

"Not really…I don't even know what you mean."

Naruto gave him a very strange grin. "Well, we can swing upside-down on our feet, as long as we make sure to use the right amount of chakra. Why can't we do that on our hands? Like…stand on our hands on top of the branch, and then slide underneath? It would be fun…and good exercise…and other good stuff."

He frowned, and began jumping onto random branches with his hands and feet and sticking to the trunks of trees. It was fun to do, and good exercise… "Yeah, I guess that could be fun."

He paused. _"What _other good stuff?"

Naruto colored a bit and looked away. "Um, it would make us look cool, too."

"Right…like your orange jumpsuit?"

Naruto pushed off the branch and stuck to her trunk, then jumped _at _him. He dodged…just in time…and Naruto fell to the ground.

"Damn it," she said, glaring at him and rubbing the bump on her head where she'd hit it on the trunk of his tree. "Of _course _you had to dodge…I thought I had you. That would've been five points for me. And _yes, _exactly like my orange jumpsuit! It's awesome, and don't you forget it!"

"It's not _my _fault you fell," he said, amused. Usually, it was the other way around. "And…orange?"

Naruto jumped up again and nodded. "Orange is the best color. And…_you _have orange on, so don't even _think _about disagreeing with me, you hypocrite! Oh, and…I just got an idea."

He laughed. "What now?"

"I think we should spar."

He blinked. "Spar?"

She nodded, a serious look on her face, but laughter in her eyes. "Yes. I think we should spar."

"You're not going to use, um, that…henge on me, are you?" He looked away.

Naruto snickered. "Aww, are _you _a pervert like Kakashi-sen…uh…guh. Our bastard teammate?"

"No! It just…uh…won't work on me. That's all. I was just going to tell you it's pointless."

He kept his eyes on the very interesting pattern of the bark beneath his feet. She'd explained her story to him a few days ago; it was unbelievable, but then again…so was the fact that ninja could breathe fire and walk on water. As long as she wasn't going to hurt any of his friends, it didn't matter to _him _where (or when) she'd come from

"Oh. Well, I'll keep that in mind…I'll be sure to remember that it's okay to scare away perverts when you're around." Her voice held a tone of deviousness he didn't like at _all. _"But that wasn't my idea. I think we should spar…on the trees."

"On the…trees."

He finally looked at her again, and she was grinning like she'd just won a million dollars…or free Ichiraku ramen for life.

"Oh yes. We have to stay on the trees…we can't touch the ground. The first one who touches the ground loses automatically. And…hmm. We can't use ninjutsu, but we can use chakra to do anything as long as we don't use it on each other. We can't use sharps either, because I don't feel like getting hurt today and I don't want to hurt you, either. So, strictly taijutsu…but we have to stay off the ground. What d'ya say?"

Well…it _sounded _interesting, and they really didn't have anything else to do, anyway. He was a little wary of her…she looked _way _too excited to be innocent in her suggestion. But he could do it…maybe.

"Obito, are you gonna chicken out on me?"

"Hell no!"

"Then come on!"

He'd barely agreed when Naruto came at him. He dodged. She jumped up above him and tried to kick him off. He dodged.

Everything she tried, he dodged, and Naruto finally shouted, "Aren't you going to fight back? This was supposed to be a _spar, _not _stay-away-from-Naruto! _We can play tag later."

He'd done it on purpose. For some reason, he liked riling her up…even though it usually ended in a lump on his head or a sore whatever-it-was-she-injured. She was just _funny _when she was mad.

"I know."

She glared darkly at him. "You asked for it, Obito. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this, but now, I'm gonna."

She started hopping trunk to trunk, branch to branch, very quickly and randomly. He wasn't sure what she was hoping to accomplish with it, but he figured it was time for him to move.

If she was jumping randomly, it would make sense to follow her; he'd just keep one to two steps behind. Maybe he could catch her mid-jump, or something.

But she avoided him, and to his surprise (and hers, as evidenced by the look on her face), he avoided her too.

"I thought you were going to do something," he taunted.

"Just wait," she tossed back. "I'm not finished yet!"

He realized that she _did, _in fact, have a pattern, and he stopped abruptly and caught her. "Ha," he said, holding her hands behind her back. "I win."

She grinned slyly at him. "Nope," she stated smugly. "_I _win. Look around. _I _can still move; _you _can't."

He looked around him and his eyes widened; she'd been weaving a sort of _web _out of chakra! Of course, it wasn't _sticky, _but if he moved anywhere, she could trip him easily.

"Is this…"

She nodded. "I said we could use our chakra for anything, but we couldn't use it _on _each other; I never actually touched you with my chakra, until you touched me."

Well…it was very creative, but he could still win. There was only one thing to do.

"Banzai," he shouted, and fell off the branch, keeping her from moving with her arms. As soon as they'd nearly reached the bottom, he pushed off her. She flipped, but still landed on the ground; he did too, but two seconds after her.

She sat up, looking utterly surprised, and he flashed her a victory sign.

"I think _I _just won."

She wrinkled her nose. "I should've taken into account that you're just as crazy as I am. Damn it, all that work for _nothing!"_

He grinned and sat down next to her. "_You _had a good plan, but _I _had…um, a…"

"A moment of suicidal insanity?"

He glared in her direction. She seemed not to notice. "_No," _he protested. "You had a _good_ plan, but _I _had a _great _plan."

Naruto opened her mouth, as if to say something, but closed it again. With a huff, she muttered, "You won _that _time, but I'll get you next time."

He just grinned. "You know, this is the third time I've beaten you at your own game."

She bristled, just like he'd expected. "That was because one of those times was to see who could make the best-tasting food out of the only ingredients in my kitchen, and you stole all the ingredients...and the other one was who could make Kakashi irritated first! I don't think those are _great _wins!"

He scowled. "But I still _won, _and that's what's important."

"You're horrible."

"Then you are too," he retorted.

She sighed, smiling a bit, and scooted back so she could lean against the trunk of a tree. "You know…I haven't had this much fun in a while."

He moved to sit next to her, leaning against a different part of the trunk. "You always seem like you're having fun."

"No," she replied softly. "That's not what I meant. Before I got here, Konoha was at war with…well, a whole bunch of different people. Suna helped us out a _lot, _of course…but we were _always _ready to jump up and defend or attack at any time. Being here…it's like a whole bunch of stuff fell off my back, and I can stand up straight without falling over. I feel lighter."

Obito tilted his head so he could see her. "Why was it expected that Suna help you out? I mean…I know we're working for an alliance, but…those things can be broken easily. People do it all the time; that's why wars start in the first place."

He rested his head against the bark and looked at the leaves above him, and she laughed. "Well, it would be weird for them to break our…I don't even know what to call it. It wasn't an _alliance; _Konoha and Suna were on _really _good terms."

"Why is that?"

"Well, the Kazekage and I were _really _close. I guess you could say 'best friends,' if that's possible for two people from different villages; of course, Sakura-chan was my _best _friend, but she was like a sister…and Gaara was the best friend I had that wasn't part of my chosen family."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You must've been close, if you were on first-name terms with the _Kazekage."_

"Yeah, well…" She sighed. "I find friends in the strangest places, I guess. We met during the chuunin exams…the only ones I ever attended. I was still a _genin _when I got sent here, if you can believe that. He was…unstable, and he tried to kill me, and my friends. He actually killed several people, and until the final part of the exams, he didn't even get _injured…_well, a boy I knew actually landed a few hits on him, but he didn't get _hurt. _The first time he bled was when Sasuke got him with a lightning technique. He said that his only reason to exist was to kill everyone other than himself...and he hated the word 'love.' He didn't understand how to form bonds at all."

_Huh? Then how did they become friends?_

"So…what happened between you two?"

He could tell she was smiling when she answered, "He had a demon inside him, like I did. Suna had decided to team up with another village and invade during the exams, and they chose him to be the main fighter…because he _was_ unstable, and the seal _sucked. _Anyway, he went into the woods and started to transform, and Sasuke went after him but he was almost killed. Sakura-chan and I found him, and I was so afraid to fight him…I knew I was no match for him. I _wanted _to run away, but Sakura-chan and Sasuke were there and if I didn't fight, they would die.

I started out well, but he hadn't even transformed all the way…when I finally landed a few hits on him, he got really angry and transformed _almost _all the way. He was inside this giant tanuki made of sand – that was the demon; Shukaku, the ichibi. He had this technique he would use…and no one had _ever _escaped before. He wrapped his enemies – well, his _victims, _really – up in sand, and he would squeeze his fist and they'd be crushed to death in maybe two seconds. He tried to use it on me…

But I was desperate, and I summoned Gamabunta. He wasn't going to help me, but then Gamakichi – his son – told him how I'd saved him from the sand. He decided to help me after that.

But Gaara transformed fully, which means he went to sleep and let the demon come out to play. I seriously thought I was gonna die, but Sakura-chan was being slowly squeezed to death and Sasuke was gonna be next, and I couldn't let them die."

"What happened next," Obito asked. The story was exciting.

"Um, Gamabunta told me to do a transformation with him into something with teeth and claws. I couldn't think of anything quickly, but…the nine-tailed demon fox popped into my mind at the last second and that's what we became. I jumped off him, and I punched Gaara awake. He tried to kill me then…he was real angry.

But I hit his head with my forehead…and my head is _hard. _It's always been that way. So we both fell into the treetops, and we were both out of chakra…we both had pretty much one hit left. So we jumped at each other."

Naruto fell silent, just breathing. Obito shifted. "And then?"

She gasped. "Oh, sorry. I was...falling asleep…I guess I'm...tired. Um, I...hit him, and we...both fell to the ground. We were both exhausted, and...neither of us could...move at all…but he had the same…eyes as me…and I…wanted to save…him."

Naruto's voice was getting slower and slower; he was feeling sleepy too. It was a very hot day, and they hadn't moved in a while.

"I told him…about…the fox…and I told him how…I decided to…find acknowledgment by being…a…protector…"

She yawned. "And after that…we were…friends."

It was an awesome story; she seemed to just have a way with people. He wondered who else she'd 'saved.'

"I cried for him…three…times…when I fought him…when he…was kidnapped…and…when…he…died."

And that was what was different about her. He wanted to say something, but he was comfortable just leaning there, and he couldn't remember what it was he was supposed to say.

He'd remember and say it in a few minutes.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto woke to a crick in her neck and the sound of breathing. Her head had rolled to the side, and without anything holding it up, she'd probably strained it; oh well, it would heal in a few minutes. Now, she just had to get the feeling back into her legs and feet.

She turned her head carefully to see who was on the side she wished her head had fallen (maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much), and she had to snicker softly. _His _head didn't look too comfortable either.

She thought she should probably wake him up.

"Obito," she whispered, poking his shoulder. "Wake up."

There was no response, and she rolled her eyes.

"Wake up," she repeated, shaking him.

He jerked his head up, and immediately put his hand to his neck and moaned. "Ow, that _hurts."_

"Trust me, I know," she replied. The sky was getting dark, and she frowned. What time was Rin supposed to be done at the hospital? She'd planned to make her teammates eat dinner with her.

She thought that she probably just missed having a close team like this; she and Sakura-chan had spent a lot of time together, before…

_Naruto, go! You've got the plans, now take them back to Konoha! I'll come back soon!_

She _hadn't _come back.

"Looks like it's late," Obito pointed out, trying to roll out the kinks in his neck and wincing every time his head came toward her.

"Yeah, it does. We should probably hurry so we're inside the village when the sun sets."

"Why would that matter," he asked with a yawn.

She grinned. "You'll just have to see. We're going to get Rin and I'll show you both."

She stood and offered him a hand, which he didn't take. "I can stand on my own," he muttered.

"I didn't think you couldn't. I just thought I'd be friendly."

She smiled; he was just being prideful. "Well, come on. We gotta find Rin."

He yawned again and nodded, and they took to the trees. He was still trying to get the kinks out of his neck.

They reached the hospital quickly; it hadn't been as late as they'd thought. Rin would be finishing in a few minutes.

"Hey," Naruto called when Rin came into view. "I'm going to show you guys something."

Rin looked at her quizzically. "What?"

"You'll just have to see."

"She said the same thing to me," Obito confided to Rin.

Naruto snorted. "I'm right here, you know."

He looked at her, nonplussed. "I know."

"Well, come on. We've gotta get to the Hokage monument."

Rin and Obito followed her, and the team reached the top in just a few minutes.

"All right, now lie down, both of you."

"What for," Obito asked.

She made her flashlight-face…without a flashlight, of course. She needed to get a new one. "Because I _said_ so."

They both lied down, and Naruto took the spot beside Rin. "Now, watch."

She'd done this with Shikamaru many times; during the rare peaceful times, they'd come up to the top of the Hokage monument with Chouji and, surprisingly, Lee, at sunset. She'd never really appreciated the sky before, until she'd seen this.

As the sun sank, the stars became brighter and the sky darkened. The stages of darkness were amazing to look at, and somewhat calming. Naruto sighed. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Rin agreed. "Why have I never noticed?"

Naruto breathed deeply. "Because you never looked."

That was what Shikamaru had told her, when she'd asked the very same question. He had a way with words; he didn't like to exert more energy than he had to, so he kept things simple, but the way he'd phrased things just made them seem beautiful.

She supposed that was why she'd liked him. But he'd died…and Naruto had sworn to focus on saving her friends and her village before focusing on relationships. The cold, hard truth of her life was that if she allowed herself to grieve, she was afraid it would take over, and she wouldn't allow that to happen. There were people depending on her…and she never wanted them to be hurt.

After a while, the sky was dark, and her team would be ready to go home. She stood and held a hand out to Rin, who took it. "Thanks."

Naruto nodded. "You're welcome. At least _you _appreciate a nice gesture."

Rin laughed, and Naruto looked at Obito, who was still lying down. "Hey, are you gonna come home with us?"

There was no response. Naruto bent down, and rolled her eyes. "He's asleep again."

"Again?"

She nodded and shook his shoulder. "Hey, wake up!"

Naruto turned on the balls of her feet and looked at Rin. "We were sparring earlier, and we talked after that…and we both fell asleep. I woke up with no feeling in my legs and a crick in my neck. I don't think he was too much better."

She turned back to her teammate. "Wake up, Sleepy."

Exasperated, she stood and rolled him over with her foot a few times and shouted, "Obito, you're going to fall off the monument!"

He snapped out of his sleep and looked around, finally sending a glare at Naruto. "That was horrible. I thought I was going to die."

She shrugged. "I did, too. What if someone decided they didn't like you and slit your throat in your sleep?"

He stood quickly and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Then I'd be dead."

"Yeah, I _know. _And I _don't _want you to die, so you'd better be more careful," she said sternly.

He began walking toward his home, before he turned around. "I won't die."

"You'd _better _not, or I'll bring you back to life and kill you myself."

He laughed, and waved. "See you guys tomorrow. Breakfast, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep. You'd better be there at five."

He didn't answer; instead, he walked away again. Naruto laughed. "Rin, you can come at six. Obito's not _quite _as bad as Kakashi-sensei was, and…well, if he _does _come on time tomorrow, I'll find a way to keep him entertained. Maybe we'll start on breakfast so you can just eat when you get to my place."

They'd decided to make meals at Naruto's apartment every day, since she lived on her own in a quiet building. Rin and Obito usually brought things over, so Naruto didn't have to provide all the food; she just provided the means to cook.

She and Rin headed down the monument together. Rin caught Naruto's arm and asked, quietly, "You really like him, don't you?"

Naruto shook her head. "Of course not. You'd be _much _better for him than I ever could be. Can you imagine what it would be like if we dated or something? We're both too loud and obnoxious."

She grinned as she remembered one of her better pranks, painting on the Hokage faces. With the ability to stick to surfaces with chakra, and _two _people painting…it could be _better. _She couldn't hold back a snicker, and Rin cleared her throat.

"Um, Naruto?"

Naruto blushed. "Sorry…I was just thinking about one of my better pranks. Did you say something before?"

"No," Rin responded. "I just wanted to get your attention."

"Oh," Naruto said. "Well, you've got it."

Rin fidgeted. "Well…I think you should…you know, give it a try."

Naruto shook her head and made her way toward her own apartment. "Nah. He's just a friend; I don't like him like _that. _I really do think _you _should, though."

Rin didn't respond, so Naruto just waved. "See you tomorrow."

She walked to her house, and sighed. Why was Rin being so stubborn?

And she _didn't _like him like that!

Humph.


	7. What Love Is

When Obito arrived at Naruto's house, she looked like she'd just been trampled on by an army of giant toads like Minato-sensei could summon.

"Holy hell…what happened to _you?"_

Naruto grimaced and grabbed his upper arm, pulling him roughly into her apartment. "Just get in here. Minato-sensei is a sadistic bastard."

Minato-sensei…?

"What _about _Minato-sensei," he asked suspiciously.

She moaned and flopped onto the floor by her table. "He decided to come by last night at about eleven because he decided I needed more _training. _I spent _five hours _trying to keep up with him, and I _still_ couldn't beat him."

Obito snickered. "What can you expect? You're only a genin, and he's next in line for the position of Hokage. Before you came, he was the only one who_ didn't _know that."

Naruto lifted her head enough to let him know she was glaring at him, before she let it drop again. "So? I feel like I just got trampled on by an army of giant toads. You try training one-on-one with sensei for _five hours, _and see if _you _like it."

Obito's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, that's what I was thinking! About the giant toads, I mean."

"Well, probably because it's as close to being true as it will ever be. I swear, sensei has it in for me."

He sat down next to her stomach. "Probably because you're his daughter."

"But shouldn't that mean he _favors _me then," Naruto wailed.

"Why'd you think that?"

"I dunno," she replied, sitting up and rubbing her temples. "I never had parents, so I'm not sure, but don't parents favor their children? I saw that when I would watch some parents with their children at the playground."

Obito snorted. "I have no idea. My parents are insane, and…actually, most adults I know are insane. I guess it's different when you're a ninja."

"Well, I bet Minato-sensei is more insane than _anyone _else. Except for ero-sennin and Hebi-kusotare, but we already knew that about Hebi-kusotare and I just _know _that ero-sennin must've been fine until he started peeking in the baths. I think he just got hit in the head too many times."

"I never met sensei's sensei, but if he's insane, that probably explains why sensei's so weird."

Naruto giggled loudly, and Obito wondered if she wasn't going crazy too. "What?"

She giggled again. "That _has _to be where Minato-sensei got his weird training ideas from."

"Um, what do you mean? You explained him as kind of a laid-back pervert, who left you alone to train."

"Oh, yeah. _Most _of the time. But there were a few times where I really thought I was gonna die…like this one time, when he threw me off a cliff."

He'd _thrown _her off a _cliff? _"Whaaat?"

"Oh, yeah," she continued conversationally, totally oblivious to the horrified look on his face. "And there was this other time, when he decided that I needed to get faster, so he threw kazillions of kunai at me and told me I'd better get running or they'd keep hitting me."

Obito paled as Naruto snickered evilly. "And this one time, he tried to 'test my information-gathering' skills by sending me into the women's baths in female-form. They bought it, because hey – I _am _a girl. But _he _didn't know that, and I came back and told him all about how we sat there discussing the best ways to torture perverts we found peeking into the baths. I made sure to go into _serious _detail. And I left out everything else."

He could imagine her doing something like that…she was kind of scary when she was annoyed. Scratch that…she was _very _scary when she was annoyed. By the sounds of it, she hadn't been like that until the…war had started. He had a suspicion she had developed that trait to keep her teammates on their toes.

"…You're strange."

"Yeah, you said that already. Um, you know, we should probably start breakfast before Rin gets here, so we can eat as soon as she arrives."

"But…breakfast is a team thing! We _always _make it together."

Naruto moaned again, clutching her stomach. "But I'm _hungry."_

Obito rolled his eyes. "You always eat before we get here anyway."

"…Oh yeah."

Naruto jumped up (when had she regained her energy?) and fairly _skipped _to the sink. "Mm, ramen."

Of _course, _ramen. Rin-chan couldn't have broken Naruto of that particular addiction, no matter what. Not that Obito _minded; _Ichiraku _was _pretty good. Rin-chan just didn't know that Naruto ate cup ramen before breakfast…probably every day.

Naruto came back toward him and set her ramen on the table, collapsing next to him. "I'm glad you reminded me…I'm not exactly thinking straight this morning. I think sensei hit me in the head too many times."

"What did you train," Obito asked curiously. Naruto had been oddly secretive about her training with Minato-sensei.

"Um, last night we mostly just sparred," she answered evasively.

"You want me to believe you sparred with sensei for _five hours?"_

"Hey, I said _mostly!"_She sounded defensive. "Um, and we did some ninjutsu training too."

She had been stubbornly refusing to tell either him or Rin-chan about her ninjutsu training, so he avoided that topic for now. She wouldn't tell him anyway. "Why did you spar that much?"

Naruto looked in the opposite direction and poked at the floor. "Um, no reason."

She was hiding something. "C'mon, what? Did you piss him off?"

"You…could say that."

She'd actually made him mad? That almost never happened; at least, not by someone he cared about.

"What happened?"

"I…I couldn't sleep last night, so I went for a walk. I met his fiancée, and…"

So, she'd met her mother. What was wrong with that?

She took a breath. "I guess I couldn't take it. I, um, nearly started crying, so I ran back to my house to get away from her. Sensei said I really hurt her feelings, and he just came over to ask what had happened. And, um, I said some things, and he got angry, and I, um, started yelling, and he told me we'd just have to take it to the training grounds."

_Wow. _"What did you say to make him so mad?"

"Oh, my ramen's done," she said happily. "Time to eat."

Obito frowned. He didn't like it when he was kept in the dark about things. "Well? What did you say?"

She took a big bite. "I told him not to have a kid with her," she mumbled through her noodles.

"Um, that was probably not a good idea."

She swallowed and glared at him. "I just meant he shouldn't at the same time the demon fox attacks. He can do it _before _then."

Obito smacked his forehead. "Are you _kidding _me?"

"No," she growled. "I'm completely serious. I don't want _another _kid's life to be ruined!"

And he understood…but it hadn't been a good idea to tell _sensei. _"So…why did you _tell _him? You know, people can't exactly predict stuff like that."

"Of course they can," she scoffed.

"Really? How?"

She blushed heavily. "Um, we don't have to get into that."

He lifted an eyebrow. "O…kay. Anyway, you still don't know how to prevent the fox from _randomly appearing, _so…I mean, what would've happened if you hadn't been born? Plus, I think sensei wouldn't just have a baby because it had happened like that before. If he and his fiancée have a baby, it'll be because they love each other, right?"

She scowled. "I know he loves her way too much to have a baby out of obligation or something. _And _I know it had to be done. But it doesn't have to happen like that this time."

He frowned; he didn't like her strange tone of voice. "That's good…um, but why do you say that?"

She glared at him and said fiercely, "Because he has another option!"

He smiled. "Oh, that's great news. When you told him that, you two made up, right?"

She looked away. "No."

His frown came back. "…Why?"

"Because he liked the second option even less than he liked the first."

He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but… "What was it?"

She shoved more noodles into her mouth. "I told him to use me," she said quickly and thickly.

Obito scowled at her. "You said that sealing a demon into an adult would be useless because demon chakra is poisonous to developed coils."

She swallowed and hurriedly put the rest of her noodles into her mouth. "Normally, that's true, but my coils are already able to hold demon chakra, so it would only take two weeks for the demon to fully be locked into me instead of the normal six months."

"Well, then, why didn't he like that idea? It makes sense, doesn't it," he asked warily. She had a funny look on her face.

"That's what _I_ said, but he doesn't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because he's underestimating me," she said darkly.

_Sensei,_underestimating _anyone? _"Um, are you sure?"

"Well what else _could _it be," she asked angrily. "I don't get it…does he think I couldn't _handle _what I'd have to do? I was prepared to do it before, when I still had the demon inside me! Does he think I'm _weak?" _Her voice wavered and she cleared her throat, angrily snarling, "I'm _not _weak."

Obito was at a loss. What could _he _say? Rin-chan was _much _better at this kind of thing. "Um…I don't think you're weak," he said. "Sensei probably doesn't think you are, either. Maybe you just…misunderstood?"

"No, I'm sure I didn't misunderstand," she answered, still sounding angry, but not shouting any more. "That's the only reason he'd have to be angry with me when I suggested it."

"But," Obito argued, still uncomfortable, "if he thought you were weak, he'd just train you so you'd be stronger, right? That _can't _be the reason."

She rested her head on the table and sighed. In a much more subdued voice, she said, "It's not physically. Mentally, I think he thinks I'm weak. And maybe I am…I don't know. I just want what's best for everyone. He's working on a way to get rid of the demon without sealing it into someone or killing himself, but I studied this stuff for almost two years with ero-sennin and we couldn't come up with anything, even though ero-sennin had been trying to find out since I was born."

He still felt awkward. "You're not weak mentally, and sensei knows that. I still say you misunderstood him."

"Mm, you're wrong, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to fight with you about this. I'd rather fight with you about something stupid we can laugh about later."

He didn't answer. Instead, he watched her as she closed her eyes and wondered if he should've come late after all. Rin-chan would've known what to say, and he had a feeling all he'd done was aggravate her.

After three minutes or so, Naruto was asleep again and he put her in her bed; waking up with a crick in the neck and a red mark on her forehead would probably only make her even more irritable. After fifteen minutes, Rin-chan was at the door. "Hey, Rin-chan," he said brightly. "Um, you can come in, probably."

She looked at him quizzically and stepped into the apartment. "Probably?"

"Well, Naruto is asleep, so I don't know what _she'd _say, but since she was expecting you here anyway, I think it's okay."

"Is Naruto okay?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea. She looked like hell when I got here, and she was really angry with sensei, but she fell asleep again about twenty minutes ago."

She frowned worriedly, but then looked at him in surprise. "When did you get here?"

"What's so strange about me being on time," he asked sadly.

Rin-chan smiled. "I don't know…you're getting better, probably because Naruto has been showing up early to meet me so we can show up early to get you. It's still weird to see it happen on its own, you know."

He blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of his head. She was complimenting him, in a roundabout way…and insulting him at the same time. Still, in both cases it was embarrassing.

"So, where is Naruto?"

"Oh, I put her in her bed."

Rin-chan smiled in a strange way. "How sweet!"

Obito backed away warily. "Um…thanks?"

"So…we should wake her up," she said.

"Oh, I don't think so. Um, she ate something right after I got here, and…she really did look like hell. She and sensei got into a fight last night and he beat her up pretty bad during their spar."

Rin-chan bit her lip, frowning. "That's bad. Maybe we should go get breakfast instead, and just bring some back for her. Why did they start fighting?"

A date with Rin-chan!

"Um, she met her mom last night, and, um, she got sad…I guess? Sensei came to check up on her, and she says they fought because Naruto wants him to seal the fox into _her _if it attacks again."

Rin-chan sucked in a breath. _"What?"_

He frowned. "Um, she said that she could handle it. She got really mad at sensei…she says he thinks she's weak or something, because he got mad when she suggested it. _I _think she just misunderstood…"

"You're damn right, she misunderstood," she said, sounding angry. What could've made her so angry? She didn't usually get angry easily.

"Um…Rin-chan?"

She leveled a serious look at him, and said, "Put your shoes on, we're going to pick up something to eat and bring it back for Naruto. Then, we're going to have a _serious _talk with her."

"Okay…?"

"_Now, _Obito!"

"Ack!"

He complied, and they left Naruto's apartment.

Okay, so maybe it was just _girls _who were scary when they were angry.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto woke to the smell of miso, and sighed, snuggling into her covers. It looked to be about six thirty…

"Oh, crap," she cried, and jumped out of bed…or tried to. Her covers were all tangled. She hit the floor on her hands and the balls of her feet and scowled. Had she had a bad dream? She couldn't remember…

"Naruto," said Rin angrily. _When did she get here?_

"Um, hi?"

She worked to untangle her legs from the sheets and wondered why she was dressed.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do."

Naruto looked up to see Rin standing over her, hands on her hips, and Obito off to the side, looking scared.

_I can see why, _she thought. _Rin looks like she wants to kill me._

"This is going to sound stupid, but I was training with sensei until four in the morning, so-"

"I _know _that," Rin answered dangerously. "Obito told me. We let you sleep for a bit longer…not that you _deserve _it."

Obito? She looked at him. "How did _you _know?"

He looked confused. "Uh…you told me."

She stood up and stretched her arms. "When?"

"When I got here."

She was about to dismiss him, but she paused, realizing that he'd come over at five. "Oh yeah," she said to herself. "I was awake for a while."

Rin grabbed her forearm and dragged her to the table. "Eat," Rin commanded, pointing to the rice and miso soup. "And while you're at it, tell me why you've decided your _life _isn't worth living!"

Both Naruto and Obito looked at Rin, shocked. Naruto frowned. "I _never _said that!"

Rin rolled her eyes and sat across from Naruto, pulling Obito down with her. "Of course you didn't say that. Otherwise, Obito here would've probably punched you. It's still the same thing."

"What are you _talking_ about, Rin?"

"Obito was worried about you this morning," she said quietly, ignoring Obito's 'Was not.' "He said you and sensei fought last night, and that you were angry. He told me what you told him."

Regardless of being worried about why Rin knew of the ultimate ending to her plan, Naruto shrugged. "So? _He _thinks it's a good idea, too."

"Because you didn't tell him the _specifics," _Rin cried. "Do you _really _believe he'd just accept that?"

"Um, Rin-chan," Obito began tentatively. "Maybe-"

"Don't say anything, Obito," she answered, glaring at Naruto. "She left out some important details."

"What?"

"Why don't _you_ tell him, Naruto?"

She looked away. "I don't know what you mean. I told him what I told sensei. And sensei obviously thinks I can't handle it, so why are you so mad anyway?"

Obito looked from Naruto to Rin, and back to Naruto. "Um, I think I missed something big here."

"You did," Rin answered. "Naruto is being a stupid jerk."

Naruto bristled and glared at Rin. "I'm _not _being stupid, and I'm _not_ being a jerk! You think I'd actually let what happened to me happen to someone else? Even if people didn't have the same attitude, the little kid would still have a horrible life! I just got lucky, at the end."

Rin started to respond, but she shut her mouth and turned to Obito instead. "Did I tell you what my one-on-one training with sensei includes?"

"Um, no."

Naruto was suddenly on her guard.

"Well," Rin said, "I told sensei I was interested in seals."

Naruto's stomach dropped; _that's _how Rin knew about it.

"And," she continued, "we started discussing Naruto's seal one day. He told me it will take years for me to be able to understand or make seals that intricate, but I was curious about it. _I _actually suggested the same thing Naruto did…because at the _time, _it made sense to me, too."

Obito looked confused and asked, "What did he say?"

Rin threw Naruto a venomous look. "He said that after two weeks, when the demon was fully sealed, the two would react against each other and it would be Naruto's will alone that held the demon at bay until she died."

He frowned. "But…Naruto _isn't _weak."

Rin shook her head. "No, she's not. But that doesn't make me feel any better, because the demon chakra is poisonous. At the first sign of weakness – which would _include _being asleep or tired, by the way – the demon chakra would flood her system. The only way she'd be able to keep the fox from breaking out again," she spat, "would be to _die _after the demon was fully sealed. Meaning, she'd have to kill herself."

Obito joined Rin in her glare. "Naruto…"

"Don't say anything," Naruto answered, glaring back. "You guys don't know_ anything. _I've been ready for this for a long time. Before I even _got _here. If Sasuke hadn't stolen the chakra for me, I would've had to die regardless. At least _this _time, I can make sure _another _kid doesn't share that same end, since there won't be another psycho Sasuke to help."

"So, _this _is why you think sensei thinks you're weak," Obito said accusingly. "Jeez, Naruto! Don't you think it could be because he doesn't want his _daughter _to have to off herself?"

Naruto jumped up, and he did too. She glared fiercely at him, and he glared back. "He doesn't remember being my father," she hissed. "Sure, I've made my place in his heart as a student…but do you _really _think he could _possibly _think of me as a daughter? Even though all my sensei were close to me, _none _of them saw me as anything but maybe an annoying younger cousin, if that! Do you think that someone who's only known me for a month can suddenly make that jump?"

"He doesn't _have _to think of you as a _daughter," _he shot back. "Would_ you _want _me _to kill _my_self because of some stupid noble cause?"

He rubbed his eyes. "You're stupid," he said sullenly, sniffing quietly. "What do you think love is, anyway?"

"Love is being able, and willing, to do what's best for the ones you love, even if it hurts…because you just want them to be happy. You want to protect them. And I _love _everyone here, so what's _your _problem?"

He punched her. She staggered back, holding her cheek, and he just glared at her with angry, watery eyes. "You don't _know _what's best for everyone else. _We _all love _you _back. Rin-chan thinks of you as a sister. You're my teammate, and sensei cares about you. Rin-chan's parents think you're sweet, and my family always tells me I should look up to you, because you've been able to 'overcome your nature,' whatever the hell that means. Well, they tell me to look up to Kakashi, too, but I ignore _that. _Because_ you're _the one I actually _do _look up to. Don't be so cheerful about dying, because you're really only going to hurt everyone!"

Naruto felt like he'd just punched her in the gut, and it hurt worse than the punch to her face. Why couldn't they _understand? _She sat down heavily and glared at the table. "I'm just trying to do the right thing."

Rin sighed. "Naruto, I know you think you'll be helping, but it's not like that. You_ are _an idiot, but you're _our _idiot, and we don't want to see you do something like that. If you have a problem with how people treated you, change it like you said you want to. Didn't you say you want to save Sakura and Sasuke? How can you if you're dead?"

Naruto flushed. "I…figured I'd just ask _you guys _to help me."

Obito sat down again and dragged an arm across his face again, leaving it completely dry. "You're an idiot, Naruto."

"Like _you _should talk," she retorted, sticking out her tongue childishly. "Anyway, shouldn't we be meeting sensei soon?"

He nodded. "Yeah. But if you don't eat what we brought you, none of us are going anywhere."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but obeyed. "Why do you say that?"

"Because _I _bought it," he said.

She laughed. "Mm. Yes, sir."

Naruto knew that the issue wasn't resolved, but at least she could eat. They had plenty of time until the demon fox appeared. And in the meantime, maybe she could make them understand that it _was _the right thing.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

When Rin, Naruto, and Obito arrived, they looked like they'd been running. Minato raised his eyebrows and said, "You're _all _late."

"Nuh-uh, sensei, you're just early," Obito replied.

And for once…he was right about that, but he could still tease them.

"Um, sensei," Naruto asked quietly. He turned his eyes on her, keeping his face blank.

"Hmm?"

"I'm…sorry," she said, looking away.

He knew she wasn't apologizing for being late (since she hadn't been, anyway), and he smiled a bit, even though he was still angry.

"I just realized…I did get here early," he replied.

Rin smiled encouragingly at Naruto, who averted her eyes; it was enough to tell Minato that Rin (and by default, Obito, since he knew the three spent an insane amount of time together) had gotten on her case. He wasn't going to let it drop, but for now, he could relax.

He was proud of his team.

* * *

Um, just a question...does anyone else think this is something Naruto would do? Personally, I think he's WAY too self-sacrificing to be sane, and it seems like something he'd do to keep everyone he loves safe. Also, I get the feeling that he (or in this case, she) doesn't exactly see herself as someone who is a priority...meaning that she cares more about the happiness of others than her own. In canon, Naruto promises to bring Sasuke back to Sakura, even though he likes her and thought of Sasuke as a rival for Sakura's love.  
And he went to rescue Gaara, even though Akatsuki was AFTER him. And a whole bunch of other incidents...which makes me believe this. Even if that doesn't make sense to anyone else, for the sake of this story, that's her mentality, because that's what I see in canon Naruto. 


	8. Examinations and Revelations

_Before writing my next chapter, I'd like to explain something to my readers._

_**Arkard **__left a review last chapter, saying, "_I wonder if he realizes that Naruto could probably absorb kyuubi, or at least get on friendly terms with it…maybe even have some girl talk if she gets really bored."

_I would just like to explain that since I have not seen any evidence of the fox being able to be absorbed (even though I have suspicions), and since I can't really see Naruto becoming friends with the bane of her existence (and the fox isn't too pleased about being sealed into her, either, I'm guessing), in my stories, they will never become friends. There is a reason that Naruto loses the capacity to think rationally when using the demon's chakra (in canon), so unless and until I read something different, the fox will still be a sort of malevolent being. Not that I think the fox is _evil, _but if Naruto loses her ability to be rational, I don't think the fox would be the same._

_Also, __**Encyser **__made an inaccurate observation about my story that I should probably clear up: I do not, in any way, mean to say that Sasuke isn't important to Naruto. I mean…they _are _best friends. Um, _were, _in the case of this story, but he _does_ hold a very nice place in Naruto's heart. And yes, he didn't bring Sasuke home the first time; if you remember, he started kicking Sasuke's ass, and then when Sasuke did his whole freaky transformation thing he had the advantage again. BUT if you don't remember, Naruto and Sakura, in Shippuuden, are still after him. In my story, Naruto was seventeen before Sasuke sent her back, so of course she'd be stronger. With all the training she's done…anyway, what I'm trying to say is that if it seems like Naruto doesn't care about Sasuke, or that she's superpowered, it's not supposed to be like that at all. She's got the _knowledge _of a seventeen year old, the chakra control of her twelve-year-old self, and a sensei who can understand the theory behind his ultimate technique better than her other teachers. That's all._

_But thanks for the observation; I've decided to expound on her friendships from her past life in this chapter. ((smile))_

_**This chapter is dedicated to **__**KarinUzumaki,**__** because it was her birthday on the 10th, because she is full of win, and because she makes me giggle with her cuteness. Don't even try to deny it, K; you're like a teddy bear. With fangs. And a sexy overhead crack. This chapter is extra-long, because you're extra-winsome!**_

_Thanks, and enjoy the chapter!_

Training ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death, wasn't exactly as frightening as it had once been. Naruto gazed around fondly, as if it were a favorite childhood haunt and not the place she'd been eaten by a giant snake and met the person who'd ruined so many lives. Just like the first time, she was here for the chuunin exams.

"This is rather nostalgic," she said quietly. "I've been wanting to come back here for a while."

Obito looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you _kidding _me? This place is _creepy!"_

She just rolled her eyes and smiled at him in that patient, friendly way that irritated him so much. "Of course it's creepy. It's not called the Forest of Death for nothing. But this is where I met Anko for the first time."

"Anko," Obito asked. "Who was she?"

Naruto grinned. "She was probably the most sadistic person I ever knew, and she was much older than me. But she liked to have fun. Um, we ended up having a drinking contest one night. I won, of course, because it takes a _lot _for me to get drunk. But after we were both pretty sloshed, she started hitting on me. I told her I was a girl, I think…that night's kind of fuzzy…but she obviously didn't care, because I woke up the next morning with her drooling all over my bare stomach. She didn't remember the night before at all. Anko was a pretty funny woman. And kinky, too, if I remember correctly…"

"Don't say stuff like that," Obito squawked. "Now I'm going to have to get rid of those horrible images!"

"Oh, you know you would've loved to be there," Naruto teased, making him go red.

"Quit it!"

Rin frowned thoughtfully and interrupted, "I don't know anyone named Anko. She's really named after a food?"

"So am I," Naruto said dryly. "Haven't you ever eaten naruto?"

Obito nodded. "Yeah, of course. It's in ramen all the time…actually, that's weird. You love ramen. Think there's any connection?"

"Don't be an idiot," Rin chastised. "And there's another meaning to your name too, Naruto."

Naruto frowned and crossed her arms sulkily. "Maybe, but being named after a food makes me happy."

"I still say you're weird," Obito said matter-of-factly. "Who wants to be named after a _food?"_

"Yeah, well, I still say _you're _a _moron. _In case you didn't catch it before, _I _do."

He glared at her. "I'm _not _a moron! I'm ten times smarter than you!"

She glared right back. "Are _not. _You just want to think that so you'll have something to hang over my head! I'm ten times more _awesome _than you!"

"You just think that," he retorted. "I'll show you up soon; just you wait!"

"You can't _ever_ be as awesome as me! You could _never _pretend to be a _girl_ and pull it off like I did!"

"Why would I _want_ to pretend to be a girl? At least _I'm _confident enough in my sexuality to be the stunning male that I am…and I'm confident that if I _wanted _a girlfriend, I could find one! So there!"

"_I _pretended to be a boy because I hate girl stuff, not because I was uncomfortable with my sexuality! And didn't I just tell you about Anko? I doubt that a girl would even have fun on a date with _you!"_

"Children, children, don't fight," Rin admonished with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly, one would think you two were five instead of twelve."

Obito lowered his voice and whispered to Naruto, "You did tell me about Anko…from what I hear, she didn't even remember you. I'll show you."

"I doubt it," Naruto replied.

"Oh yeah? Then _you_ come on a date with me, and I'll prove that a girl _can _have fun with me!"

Wait…what? Naruto blushed and looked away. "No, you jerk! I'm _not _going to go on a date with you! That would defeat the purpose, since I _already _have fun with you!"

"Then you admit it, you have fun with me!"

"But not in a _date_ setting!"

"Could you two shut up for _five seconds?"_

"No," they responded together.

"We're having an argument, in case you didn't notice," Naruto added.

"And we're the first ones here, _again," _Obito said, glaring at Naruto.

She grinned at him. It had been _her _idea to get him three hours before they were supposed to be there and go directly to the forest. Yes, she _did _have a bit of a sadistic streak.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Naruto continued, "I _do _have fun with you. But not in a _date _setting, and more often than not, we do crazy stuff and end up getting hurt. Well," she added smugly, "_you_ get hurt. _I _might get bruised, but I heal quickly."

"Then you should go on a date with me, since you're _so _sure you won't have fun, even though you have fun with me _anyway. _And then you'll have to admit that I _can _take a girl on a nice date, and that you're wrong."

"_Fine," _she agreed with a smirk. "I'll go on a date with you, and we'll do…whatever it is that people do on dates. But _you're _paying, and _when _our date gets boring, _you'll _have to admit I'm right!"

"Will you two postpone your lovers' quarrel until _after _the exam?"

Naruto and Obito jumped and faced Rin, both red for (probably) different reasons. Obito liked Rin, and Naruto…well, she was just irked. Rin _knew _she didn't like Obito like that! She still didn't know how Rin could be so thickheaded…she _had _to have gotten Naruto's hints by now that _she_ should go out with Obito!

"We're _not _lovers," they both shouted.

"I wouldn't go out with him for _real _even if you paid me!"

"Yeah, what _she_ said!"

Rin just smiled and didn't answer. Naruto and Obito glared at each other, and then they both turned their heads in different directions. Naruto was hit with a sense of déjà vu; she could remember arguing with a _different _Uchiha, for _different _reasons, and her heart clenched.

"Hey, Obito," she said, turning to look at him.

"_What," _he asked sullenly.

"…Sorry."

He looked at her, surprised, and then felt her forehead. "Are you sick or something?"

"Huh?" She frowned. "What're you…"

"You _never _say you're sorry, unless it's important."

"But it _is _important."

He grinned. "Aww, I knew you think I'm awesome."

She flushed. "That's_ not _why this is important," she said hotly.

"But you don't deny you think I'm awesome."

"Arguing with you reminds me of arguing with Sasuke, and I don't want to lose you like I lost him. You're the only Uchiha who…_doesn't _want to kill me."

Obito retracted his hand like he'd been burned. "Ouch, what a mood killer," he said, and looked at the ground.

"That was a little mean, Naruto," Rin said reprovingly.

Naruto glanced at him and noticed he was blinking rapidly. She sighed; she had a knack for making him cry.

Well, lots of people did, but it bothered her more when it was _her _fault.

"Listen," she said quietly. "I don't mean that you aren't important to me. As far as I'm concerned, you're my best friend in my new life. Still, that _did _remind me of when I first met Sasuke…I just…didn't like it. It made me feel awful."

Obito looked at her with a semi-watery smile. "I'm your best friend?"

She glared at him. "Don't make it gross," she muttered. "I'm only trying to apologize…don't make me take it back, cos you know I will."

He glared back at her.

"All right," Rin said happily. "Now that _that's _settled, I think we should start making a plan. Or at least find a way to stick together as much as possible."

Naruto sank to the ground, stretching her legs out in front of her. "I think we should probably come up with a password of some sort, in case we get separated."

Obito looked at her suspiciously. "Did you come up with that on your own?"

She hung her head. "No."

"Well, who was it, then?"

"Your cousin," she answered moodily. "Sakura-chan got all starry-eyed, and thought he was so cool…and I couldn't remember the insanely long password, so she got annoyed with me. And I found out later that he'd set the password like that on purpose, because 'anyone but me' would be able to memorize it."

Obito sat next to her, and Rin followed. "Damn, he _was _a bastard," he commented.

"Yeah, but we were…friends…anyway. Y'know…rivals. He was my brother…I loved him. Actually, Kakashi reminds me of him, minus the whole brother thing…and you remind me of me, I guess. Rin…well, you don't really remind me of Sakura-chan, and that's good, I guess. There can only be _one _Sakura-chan, and it would be really horrible if you followed the bastard – Kakashi, I mean – everywhere, pestering him for dates and stuff. On Sakura-chan it was cute, but…I can't imagine you doing it."

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult."

"I'm not sure whether I _meant _it as a compliment or an insult," Naruto teased. "Besides…isn't there someone you like already?"

"Naruto, don't say weird things like that! I don't like anyone!"

Naruto caught the movement as Obito's face fell, and she sighed in a frustrated manner. Rin was being clueless. Suddenly, an idea struck her. "Hey, then why don't you go out with me?"

Obito looked scandalized and shouted, "What?"

Rin just looked at her quizzically and asked, "Why?"

"Unless you'd rather go out with _that _lunk," Naruto continued, jabbing her thumb in Obito's direction.

"Um…I…"

"Great, it's settled then," Naruto said with a smirk.

"_What's _settled," Obito asked suspiciously.

"Well, Rin obviously doesn't know what she likes. So she'll go out with me, and then she'll go out with you, and she can decide."

"Who says I want to go out with _either _of you?"

"I do," Naruto replied cheekily. Then, she pulled her Yamato-taichou face. "And my word is law."

Obito shivered. "That's really creepy, Naruto."

Rin threw up her hands. "Don't _I _get a say in it?"

"Nope."

"Augh, whatever. How about this? I'll go on a date with each of you, but only if _you two _go on _your _date first. If you both come back alive, I'll agree."

"Are you saying I'm too dangerous to go out with, Rin?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Rin answered, but she had a strange, devious smile on her face.

Naruto caught Obito's eye, and he shrugged. _I don't know, _he mouthed.

She grinned at Rin. "You're on," she said, drawing out a kunai and slicing her palm. She extended her hand. "But that means you have to promise."

"That's really unsanitary, Naruto," Rin admonished. "Really, don't you worry about disease?"

"Are you saying you're diseased, Rin?"

"Hey, Rin-chan's not diseased," Obito protested loudly. "If anyone's diseased, it's _you."_

"Aww, I love you too, Obito-chan," she teased sardonically.

"Now, now, children…mind your manners. People will be arriving soon."

Naruto glared at Rin, and made a mental note to tease Obito later about his heavy blush (Rin had called him a _child, _twice!) later. "Um, we should probably set that password before people get here."

"We should just ask each other questions only the three of us know the answer to. Like…Naruto, I could ask you why you're such an idiot-_ow! Don't hit me!"_

Naruto smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I heard you correctly. I thought you were saying that _I _am an idiot. You know, I _could _ask you why _you're _such an idiot, but that's something _no one _will ever know the answer to."

"Jerk," he muttered.

"Hey, guys! If you don't quit arguing, I'm going to lock you both in a room and listen outside the door, laughing evilly every time I hear something break. Or even better, when someone screams in pain."

Naruto's eyes widened, and Obito actually looked frightened. "Rin-chan is scary."

She nodded fervently. "I'll say."

She shared a look with Obito, and she knew they'd both reached an agreement; they wouldn't fight around Rin. It probably wasn't noticeable to other people, but she and Obito never really _meant _anything by their fights; it was a sort of playful teasing that just so happened to _always _end up loud, obnoxious, and probably with bruises. They _enjoyed_ being at each other's throats.

"Um," Naruto said after a few minutes of silence, "I think that idea of Obito's was a good one. We should just ask each other questions."

"Of course it was;_all _my ideas are genius."

Naruto rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to find out if Rin would actually make good on her threat.

…Okay, so maybe she did. But she'd wait until _after _they'd passed the exams (because…they'd all pass, she was sure of it).

When the overseer of the exam showed up, she looked at the trio of genin, shocked. "Why are _you guys _here so early?"

"_She _made us come here early," Obito muttered, jabbing his thumb in Naruto's direction. "She's insane, I swear."

"I just wanted to get here early," Naruto clarified to the jounin. "Mostly because I thought it'd be fun to watch him squirm."

"Hey," he protested, but she ignored him.

"So…um, nee-chan, what's your name?"

The examiner looked surprised. "I'm Kohana," she said, pointing to herself. "Who are _you, _brat?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage! You'd better remember this face, because it's gonna be under that stupid hat the Hokage wears one day!"

Kohana blinked. "Um, okay…?"

"Don't mind my teammate," Obito mock-whispered to Kohana. "She's just crazy."

"Am _not," _Naruto muttered. "I _will _be Hokage, just you wait."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Um…Kohana-san," Rin began tentatively, "are we allowed to know what this test is?"

"No," Kohana answered. "I'll explain the test to everyone, but telling you three would give you an unfair advantage. Even with a half hour extra to plan, that could put you _far _ahead of your fellow genin."

"Oh…well, thanks, anyway."

"No problem," Kohana said with a smile, and Naruto tried (and failed) to hold back a laugh.

"What," Rin asked, confused.

"Oh, I was just trying to get a picture of Anko acting like Kohana-nee-chan. It wouldn't fit."

"Naruto, that's disrespectful."

"Um, if you haven't noticed…I call the Hokage 'Hokage-jijii' and the _other _Hokage 'Tsunade-babaa.' I'm not exactly worried about honorifics. They just make me feel stuffy."

Just then, the rest of the genin teams trickled in. After they had all assembled, Kohana said, "All right, for your first assignment in the chuunin exams, you're going to be using training area 44. You'll have one week to complete your assignment; anyone who arrives after eleven fifty-nine AM on Wednesday will be disqualified immediately.

Your 'mission,' people, is to deliver _these scrolls _to the tower located somewhere in the middle of this forest as quickly as possible. You may only start out with one, so contact with the enemy is unavoidable. In addition, you are to be working with one other team from a different village. I know, I know, you all know you can do it on your own. But there _will _come a time when you have to work with another village; alliances aren't just about trade.

If you arrive on time, with at least three scrolls, you all pass. If your teams fail to get another scroll, you have a choice; you can all resign, and try again next time, or you can work together in an agreement – who will go on with two scrolls, and who will fail?

Fighting amongst yourselves for the scrolls is an automatic fail. If anyone on _your _team is too injured to continue or dead, your team fails. Any questions?"

No one said anything; after a moment of silence, Kohana continued. "Everyone come here and add your names to the roster, and find out who your cooperative team is. Then, I want you to find your new teammates and collect your scroll from _that guy _over there. In exactly fifteen minutes, I will give the word, and your time will start."

Naruto whispered in a low voice, "Rin, Obito, for this part of the exam, I'm a boy. Got it?"

Obito frowned. "Why?"

"Because I've led missions acting as a jounin before," she explained. "I know the forest inside and out, and I know how to act for the good of _everyone _on the team, and still get the job done. If the other team thinks I'm a girl, they won't respect me, and they won't listen to my suggestions. I don't want to act as team leader, and Rin is also a girl…I'm sorry, Rin, but at this age, boys tend to think girls are weak."

"I understand. I don't like it…but I understand."

Naruto continued, "You, Obito, will be acting as team leader."

He looked torn between glee and horror. "Um, you want _me _to be team leader?"

"You're Uchiha," she whispered, and began to lead them over to sign the roster. "People know about the Uchiha clan, even outside Konoha. They'll listen to _you, _more than they'll listen to me, even if I _am_ a 'boy.' My name is completely unknown."

"But…I can't use Sharingan," he muttered.

"Then tell them you don't need it. Tell them you don't want to rely on your clan's bloodline. They'll only respect you more. Don't let them push you around, but don't ignore them either. We're all the same rank, so if they have a team leader, work cooperatively with them. Don't act like we're better than them; in order for everyone to succeed, we need to be on even grounds."

Rin's eyes took on a light of understanding. "I got it, Naruto."

Naruto nodded. "And do _you _get it, Obito-taichou?"

A smile crept onto his face. "Yeah, I got it."

They signed their names on the roster, and went to find their Suna teammates; Watanabe Kanaye, Sato Yukio, and Tanaka Naomi.

"A word of advice," Naruto said to her temporary team leader in a low voice. "When we introduce ourselves, act confident and collected. Introduce yourself as Uchiha Obito right away, and look them in the eye; make it clear you're sure of yourself and your decisions, even if you aren't. We are to work _with _them; not under them, and not over them. And if you ever get stuck, call a team meeting, and Rin and I will give suggestions. We'll explain that our team works together, but you'll have the final say."

Obito looked a little sick, but nodded.

"Oh, and Obito," she added.

"Yeah?"

She cuffed him on the head. "Good luck."

A trio of genin sidled up to cell seven, and Obito looked at them all. "I'm Uchiha Obito," he said confidently. "My teammates – Uzumaki Naruto, and Yamada Rin – and I are looking for cell four from Suna. Are you cell four?"

A taller boy with light brown hair and brown eyes nodded and held up a scroll. "Yes, that's us. I'm Sato Yukio, and these are my teammates, Watanabe Kanaye and Tanaka Naomi. I have been voted team leader," he continued, ignoring Kanaye's snort. "Am I to assume you are leading _your _team?"

"Yes," Obito replied, and Naruto stepped in before the other team could ask more questions.

"We should get to our starting point," she said loudly. "It's gonna be time to go soon, and I don't wanna get left behind by the other groups!"

Obito nodded in Naruto's direction. "He's right," he said, and led the team toward their assigned entrance.

Once Kohana had given the word and their teams had entered the forest, Obito asked, "So, team, what's the plan?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Well, _I _think we should use the point-three formation."

Obito raised his eyebrows. "Point-three?"

There was no point-three formation, but she'd needed a way to suggest a tactic without taking charge. The two teams continued walking, Naruto subtly leading them toward the tower. "Yeah, the one _you _came up with," she said, stressing the word _you _and widening her eyes a little. Turning to their temporary teammates, she 'clarified,' "Obito's got the sharpest eyes out of all of us, even _without _using his bloodline, but Rin has the best accuracy, so she's usually our lookout. I've only got one or two good techniques in my arsenal, so I'm the taijutsu person on our team. Obito here takes care of our ninjutsu; none of us are very fond of genjutsu, so we're kinda screwed on that deal.

The name 'point three' comes from our positions; Rin takes lookout in front, and Obito and I take the back points, to make a triangle."

Yukio nodded. "My team uses a three-point formation as well, but it's a bit different. Naomi takes the back, and I take the front with Idiot."

Kanaye scowled at his team leader. "I'm not an _idiot."_

"Yes, you are, now shut up," Yukio answered, and Kanaye growled.

"Bastard! I-"

"Kanaye," Naruto interrupted. "I agree that your teammate, Yukio, is being a bastard, but this isn't the time to fight it out. After we've got our scrolls and gone to the tower, you can challenge him. Yukio, would it _kill _you to use your teammate's name?"

Kanaye looked as if he was about to protest, so Naruto added, "I'll cheer for you."

He nodded, and Yukio looked at Naruto like he didn't know what to make of her. She grinned at him. "You were saying?"

"Uh…right. I figured we could integrate both of our systems and travel in a hexagonal formation; the girls in the front and the back, Uchiha and I on the two outside points in the back, and Uzumaki and…Kanaye…taking the outside points in the front."

Naruto grinned, and Obito nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. We should, um, stick close together."

"That…doesn't make sense," Yukio argued.

Obito scowled darkly. "Do _you _want to be responsible for anything that happens to your teammates?"

"You _are_ team leader, after all," Naruto reminded him.

"Whatever," Yukio muttered. He turned to Naruto. "I thought Uchiha was your team leader."

"He is," she replied stiffly. "We all agreed that he would be the best choice."

"Looks to me like _you're _leading your team," Kanaye accused.

Naruto looked at him thoughtfully. "One of the most important things to remember about working together is that we all have strengths and weaknesses. I'd rather function as a team than show off; I know when to step down and let the better _man _take the job. He's not one for useless words," she lied, "so I do most of the speaking. He's the mastermind behind most of our plans."

Naomi finally said her first words since they'd met. "See, Kanaye-kun? _He _knows how to admit his wrongs. You keep trying to show up Yukio-kun, and you're too loud."

"You know, Naomi," Naruto said quietly, "I said that _all _members of our team have their strengths and weaknesses. Don't count out his strengths, just because some of his weaknesses annoy you. Now…Obito, you should take over."

"Right," he said, nodding. "I agree with the hexagonal formation, but I suggest putting a ninjutsu-type _and _a taijutsu-type on each level; in the front, we'll have Naruto and Yukio. In the back, we'll have me and Kanaye."

"Sounds all right to me," Yukio agreed.

"Good. Now, do we want to head toward the tower first, or do we want to look for scrolls before going to the tower?"

"We should head toward the tower, looking for scrolls on the way," Yukio decided. "Most likely, many other teams will have the same idea, and we'll be able to pick up our second and third scrolls while moving toward the tower."

Naruto clapped once and said cheerily, "All right, then! Six-point formation! Um…do you guys have a password set for your team?"

"Yes," Yukio answered.

"Hmm…we should come up with one we can _all _use!"

"But we shouldn't speak it out loud," Obito interjected. "Someone could be listening."

"I have writing materials," Rin said quietly. "We can show the password to each other."

"Great idea, Rin-chan," Obito encouraged. "You make it up; you're good at stuff like that. _Naruto _would probably make it 'ramen.'"

"Do not speak badly of the noodly goodness," Naruto said gravely, making Kanaye crack up.

"This is a time to be serious," Yukio chastised.

"And it's also a time to become familiar with each other," she retorted. "We have to spend a week together."

While Rin was thinking of a password, Kanaye inched over to Naruto.

"How can you give that guy a chance to lead," he asked quietly. "You would be a better leader."

She shrugged. "Well…those ideas are mostly his. He's good at being a leader. I just sometimes say things for him. He's not chatty with people outside our team."

It was…_sort of _true. Comparatively, Obito was a quiet person when he wasn't with Rin and Naruto…but that didn't mean he _was _quiet. He was still Obito; he just talked _more _with cell seven.

"I know _I _would've been a better team leader," Kanaye muttered. "Yukio is a stuck-up bastard. He thinks he's above me because he's older."

"Well, get over it. I didn't always live inside the village, and my old team was a lot like yours. I was the last in my age group, and my teammate was the first. He thought he was better than me because of that. Don't let it hold you down; just train and train until you're better than him. You can't beat him in age or experience, so beat him in skill," Naruto replied with a shrug. "Now let's go look at the password."

Rin had chosen 'ninja' to be the password, and Naruto grinned. It was brilliant, of course; no one would think to use a word so common.

Rin took her place in the front, Obito and Naruto beside her, and the Suna team took their positions. When they began walking, Obito gestured for Rin and Naruto to come closer. After they moved, he asked, "Hey, Naruto, what's with the attitude change? It's like you're a completely different person."

She shrugged. "I told you about my first…team, didn't I? I'm sure nothing that severe will happen, but I still want to be careful. And…I'm used to this kind of thing. I _can _take charge when it's needed, you know. I just enjoy playing around. I've been able to…let loose. My personality is more playful, but when a mission comes up, I have to be all business. We're supposed to treat this like a mission."

"We should get back to our points," Rin reminded them. "We can talk later."

Naruto and Obito obeyed, and they all kept their eyes open for traps and other teams.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"Two scrolls down," Kanaye cheered happily, "and one to go!"

He slapped hands with Naruto, and flashed a victory sign at Yukio. "And only two days into the exam!"

"Quiet down, idiot," Yukio admonished. "Your cheering will alert other teams to our position, and now anyone listening will know the number of scrolls we have."

"Then we'll just have to fight 'em," he said proudly. "I'm not afraid!"

"I'm glad to hear it," a voice said, and Naruto sighed. She didn't want to get mad at Kanaye; she was _sure _he'd be getting enough from his own teammates, and that had been _her _when she'd taken the chuunin exams for the first time.

On the other hand, she wasn't sure how strong the other teams were.

"Great, Kanaye," Naomi hissed. "If it weren't for _you, _we-"

"Naomi, just be quiet," Naruto ground out. "It doesn't matter whose fault this is. If you want to fight about it, wait until after we've gotten their scroll."

Naomi bit her lip.

"Ah, I love to see teams who can't work with each other," the speaker said, and dropped down in front of cells seven and four.

It was an older boy; he looked to be about fourteen, and he was carrying two umbrellas on his back. He had a hitae-ite with Ame's symbol, and Naruto was gauchely glad neither his team nor his 'allies' were Iwa-nin; she hadn't paid too much attention to who was allied with Iwa during the war.

Ugh.

She nudged Obito, who seemed frozen. "Confidence," she whispered.

He straightened. "We work together just fine," he said roughly.

Naruto resisted smacking her forehead. _Confidence _didn't mean _argument!_

"If you want our scrolls," Yukio said cockily, "then you're going to have to fight us."

Okay, Yukio wasn't going about it the right way, but it was too late now.

"Oh, gladly," the Ame-nin replied with a smirk. "I thought you'd never give us the invitation to kick your asses."

_Stay calm, stay calm, _Naruto reminded herself over and over. She still wasn't very good at brushing off provocation.

The Ame-nin motioned for his two teammates to step forward, and pointed the Kusa team to take the Suna team.

"This team interests me," the Ame-nin (whom Naruto presumed to be the leader) said, pointing at cell seven. "So I get first shot."

He reached into his pouch and drew out some senbon, smiling smugly. "I won't even need to use Joro senbon."

"Guys, don't try to dodge," Rin said lowly. "Just deflect the senbon; he has more hidden on his wrists. Also, watch out for his teammates; I'm not sure if they're going to wait for him to finish his attack."

Naruto and Obito nodded and drew out kunai. The Ame leader jumped up and spun, gracefully throwing senbon. The three deflected most of the senbon, though Naruto got hit with two and Obito with three. Their opponent only smiled, and Naruto had a bad feeling. "Jump," she shouted, and they leapt into the trees just as the Ame-nin pulled on his hidden strings and the senbon flew up from the ground.

"Hiroto, it's my turn," the other male on their team whined. "I want to kick some Konoha ass."

Rin flicked on her shobo, and nodded to Naruto and Obito, who got into position.

"Daisuke, I'm not finished," Hiroto snapped.

Cell seven attacked.

Having studied anatomy for medic training, Rin was very skilled with shobo; however, the Ame nin were no pushovers and very nimble. Obito prepared the seals for Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu, and Naruto moved in to engage at least one of them in taijutsu, a kunai hidden on each wrist.

Obito's fireball wasn't as big as Sasuke's had been, but it _was _big, and one of the Ame-nin's clothes caught on fire.

"Bastard," the kunoichi hissed. "You're going down for that."

The kunoichi jumped at Obito with her hands outstretched, and Naruto shouted, "Obito, look out! She's using neko-te!"

He drew out a kunai and met her claws, but Naruto didn't get the chance to see the rest; Rin was engaging in a taijutsu battle with Daisuke, but she couldn't help her either. Hiroto had moved toward her, drawing out his umbrella.

"You seem to be the brains of your group," he said, a twisted smile playing on his face. "I'm going to have fun with you; I'll draw your death out."

She tensed, on the balls of her feet, prepared to jump; she also released the hidden kunai on her wrists and held them in both hands. As Hiroto shouted, "Joro senbon," Naruto jumped – but not fast enough.

Being stabbed with that many needles _hurt, _and even though she knew it wouldn't be fatal, she didn't want it to go on. She was glad she'd avoided_ some _of them, but the more needles pierced her, the heavier she felt.

_Poison, _she thought. Hiroto was laughing.

"Is that all you've got," he taunted. "I expected more from you."

_I hope my teammates are okay. _She chanced a glance at her teammates, and what she saw made her feel sick. The kunoichi with the neko-te had caught Obito across the chest, and then across the throat, narrowly avoiding a fatal slash. Rin's unconscious body was being repeatedly kicked by Daisuke.

_We're all going to die, _she thought, and then she felt something shift inside of her.

_Like hell we are. Where's that red chakra I locked away?_

She found the slowly draining pool of chakra she hadn't used since Sasuke had stolen it for her, and _yanked._

_Like hell we are._

She felt the needles get forced out of her body, and her wounds heal. Her strength came back, and the haze from the poison cleared. She caught sight of her teammates again, and her blood boiled.

"_**I'll kill you," **_she roared.

And then, everything went red.

She vaguely registered the terrified faces of the Ame-nin, before she viciously took their lives, and the Kusa team hastily handing over their scroll and running away. She thought she heard Rin cheering – or was she screaming?

Suddenly, some of her pressure points had been pressed, and someone had punched her in the gut. She tried to shake off the haze she felt, and then she ate dirt.

She gasped as someone (she thought it must be Obito) twisted her hands behind her and shoved his knee into her back, and she felt something wet on her face.

There was no water here…

"Naruto, quit struggling," Obito shouted, and she tried to get a hold on her body movements. She gradually went still, and he slowly let go.

Rin helped her regain movement in her arms, gazing at her with an unreadable expression, and the Suna team was looking at her in shock. Obito was behind her, so she couldn't see him, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to…she hadn't lost control in a long time. Why had she lost control? Wasn't that chakra hers now?

When she could move freely, she turned and looked at her male teammate; she cursed silently. She knew that his tears must've dripped into her face, because she could taste them on her lips.

At least he'd been healed; how long had she been crazy?

"Shit…I am _so sorry," _she whispered. "I…didn't realize…"

"Didn't realize_ what," _Kanaye asked angrily. "Didn't realize you could kill your own teammates? Didn't realize you could rip people apart without a second thought?"

Naruto saw the damage she'd dealt to the Ame nin, and nearly retched. They looked as if they'd died in the process of turning inside-out, and the kunoichi's fingers were missing. She didn't want to know where they'd gone.

"I thought I could control it…I thought it was _mine."_

She knew Rin and Obito would most likely understand, but the Suna team wouldn't; however, they had all three scrolls, and the tower wasn't far off. She didn't feel like explaining her situation to _them._

"Let's get to the tower," Yukio said tightly. "The sooner we get there, the safer we'll be."

Naruto knew he was talking about her, and she breathed deeply.

_Why did I lose control?_

"We'll have to talk to Minato-sensei," Rin said quietly.

Yukio's eyes were drawn to their group by Rin's voice, and he frowned at Obito. "I thought you were team leader," he sneered. "Team leaders don't _cry."_

"His eyes are sensitive," Naruto said quickly. "Why do you think he has goggles, dumbass?"

It wasn't true, but it was the least she could do.

She felt like crying, herself.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"The second assignment of this exam will be given to you now," Kohana said, as soon as they entered the waiting room. "During a mission, you will sometimes have to negotiate when tired or injured. You will do this with your original teams, so as of now, you're back to two teams; you will need to convince us to let you keep your scroll. Otherwise, your team will fail."

"I think Rin should do it," Naruto whispered.

"Why?"

Naruto avoided Obito's eyes. "Because Rin's better with words than either of us."

"All right, Rin-chan! You wanna do this?"

Rin looked at Naruto and Obito for a moment, before she nodded. "We need an argument."

Obito opened his mouth, paused, and then shut it again. "I've got nothing."

Naruto rubbed her temples. "I can't think clearly right now. I'm sorry, Rin…but you're on your own for this one. I really wish I could help, but I'm all fuzzy."

Rin nodded, and stepped forward. Naruto and Obito followed closely.

"All right. Cell seven, why should I let you keep the scroll? It seems like you're pretty beat up. Even if you were allowed to fight me for them, you couldn't; I can see how badly you're all injured. Uzumaki over there looks like she's going to pass out any moment – by the way, if you pass out, your team fails –; Uchiha looks like he could use a blood pill and a nice nap. The kunoichi in front of me looks fine, but exhausted. I could just take your scroll and you wouldn't be able to stop me, but I'm giving you a chance. So…convince me."

"We deserve our scroll," Rin began hesitantly, but her voice gained power as she continued. "We avoided traps, and we worked cohesively to obtain the others, even though we'd never met our other teammates. We may be beat up, but we are alive, and we earned our scroll. You're right; we _can't _fight for it. But we completed our mission, and we would be able to regroup and get it back."

"Oh, would you?"

"Yes," Rin answered confidently. "It might take us a little while, but we have completed our week-long mission in just under three days. We have four days to get it back, and now that we know our target, it will be easier to form a plan."

Kohana thought for a moment, frowning. Naruto tensed, and she felt Obito do the same beside her. She knew Rin was anxious as well.

Finally, Kohana smiled. "Well…in that case, I'll have to pass you. Your argument made sense, and you made it clear that you were willing to finish your mission if I _did _take your scroll. Congratulations on passing your second task."

Naruto smiled at Rin, but before she had a chance to say anything, her knees buckled and she vomited on the ground.

"Let's get her to Minato-sensei," Rin said to Obito.

"Good idea, Rin-chan," he agreed.

Those were the last words Naruto heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"So…you're saying her chakra changed – as well as her eyes – and for lack of a better phrase, she went berserker on you guys?"

Minato-sensei frowned, eyes narrowed, at Naruto. She shifted, uncomfortable, on the table she was perched on.

"Yeah," Rin answered.

"It was frightening," Obito muttered. After Rin-chan healed me, I thought I was gonna die anyway; the chakra felt like it was pressing down on me."

Naruto looked at her knees. "I didn't know I would lose control," she explained. "I thought it was _mine; _I locked that part of my chakra away, because Tsunade-baa-chan said it would flood my system and I might die if I used too much at once. It's been slowly moving into my system – that's why I have so much chakra –, and when it mixes with my normal chakra, it converts…or something like that. I didn't really understand his explanation. But I used it anyway, and…well, they told you what happened."

"What brought this on?"

"I…"

Naruto took a breath. "The Ame-nin hit me with Joro senbon. He'd poisoned some or all of the needles, and when I saw Rin and Obito, I knew we were all gonna die. But I couldn't let them die…so I yanked out that red chakra. I thought it would just heal me and give me extra energy to beat the Ame team; I didn't know I was gonna lose control like that."

She finally met her sensei's eyes. She was relieved to see that he wasn't angry with her; rather, he was pensive. Finally, he asked, "Well…what do _you _think we ought to do about it?"

What did _she _think? What _did _she think? He was giving her a chance; another test. She wanted to pass.

"Um…"

What could be done? She remembered her first chuunin exam, when Hebi-kusotare had sealed off the fox. Maybe Minato-sensei could devise a seal that would block off that red chakra?

"Maybe…we could work out something like…well, you're pretty good with seals…so I was thinking that if you'll help, I could get that part of my chakra sealed off. It's been done before, but it screwed with my chakra control because Hebi-kusotare didn't use a good seal. He just wanted to get rid of the annoying pest. Would you do that, since I know nothing about seals and I wouldn't trust myself to design one even if I did?"

Minato-sensei smiled. "We can work something out," he agreed. "However, I forbid you to call on that chakra until we figure this out. It's dangerous to your teammates, and to _you. _Understand?"

"Yes," she replied. "Definitely."

"Then, as far as I'm concerned, you all have permission to move onto the third round. It will be held in one month, and you'll be competing against each other. I've got a bunch of numbers here; each of you just pick one."

Naruto's slip read three, Obito's read one, and Rin's read four.

"All right…you three can go home, get cleaned up, and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we'll be meeting at our usual training grounds to discuss training for the final round."

The three nodded, and turned to go.

"And, guys?"

They turned at the door, and looked at their smiling sensei.

"I'm proud of all of you."

* * *

I'm not sure if you all know, so I'll explain here: NEKO-TE are claw-like weapons you fit on the tips of your fingers. They can be tipped with poison. Kunoichi typically use them more than shinobi. Just thought I'd make it clear. 

PS, I tried to update this earlier today (4:30 am or so), but the site was throwing a hissy fit. Love you, K!

Oh...why is Naruto making mistakes and sometimes being mean? Easy! I'm not Sue-ifying girl!Naruto. She may be a girl, but she's not and will never be perfect.


	9. Only Human

Wow, sorry about the wait between updates! I've been out of town for the last few days, and I didn't want to post my story from my aunt's house. Anyway, here's chapter nine. Enjoy!

* * *

"Naruto…you remember the instructions I gave you before you entered the chuunin exams?" 

Naruto glanced over at Minato-sensei, who'd accompanied her to Ichiraku. "Yeah."

He sighed. "I want you to keep following them until after the finals. It's already strange enough that you look so much like me…"

"I guess I understand, Minato-sensei," Naruto replied quietly. "I'm not the type of person who likes to hide my strengths…but if it keeps Konoha safe, I'll do it."

"Besides," he continued in a strange tone, "you won't need it."

Naruto paused her eating, looking at Minato-sensei confusedly. "Are you saying…"

"Yep," he answered seriously.

Naruto hung her head, sucking in some more noodles. So…she'd still be a genin, even after…

"You'll probably blow the competition out of the water," he clarified, grinning.

She scowled. "Minato-sensei…"

"Hey, hey, relax," Minato-sensei said, waving his hands in front of his chest. "You are strong enough. I've set those limitations for the safety of the village, but not only that. If it was only a question of Konoha safety, I wouldn't be so hesitant…after all, the stronger we appear, the more respect we receive. It's not just _Konoha _I'm worried for."

He frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know if you'll understand this…I don't quite understand it myself...but for some reason, I want to protect _you, _in particular. It's a bit confusing…I was very wary of you in the beginning, and to be truthful, I didn't want to take you into cell seven. But Sandaime-sama knew what he was doing, and I respect him. Even though I don't know you well, and you technically haven't been born yet, I feel a…bond, I suppose. As though…you're family, even though I never knew about you."

Naruto's eyes widened and she looked into her ramen bowl, seeking answers that it couldn't give her.

_Family…?_

"Anyway," he concluded, ruffling her hair, "I don't want you to use that technique, especially since we don't know enough about this red chakra. Konoha safety _is _a factor, after all."

Naruto looked at Minato-sensei quietly, widening her eyes so as to keep her tears from escaping.

_Family…_

He chuckled. "Let me guess…something in your eyes?"

The jibe broke the atmosphere, and she felt the tension leave her face.

"You know," she said, "if you weren't my sensei, and you couldn't beat me up in less than three seconds, I'd probably punch you."

"Why is that," he asked.

She looked away. "Because…"

"Hmm?"

She turned her gaze toward him and scowled. "Because you said something I've always wanted to hear, and then you…you…I _wasn't _crying, damn it!"

"I never said you were," he replied, and then put some money down on the counter. "Put 'em both on my tab, would you, Ichiraku-san?"

Then, he grinned at her. "Maybe it was a bug," he suggested, and then he ducked under the flaps and _walked away._

"Damn sensei," she muttered. "Always saying untrue things."

She sighed, and stood. "Thanks for the ramen, jiichan!"

Teuchi nodded his head and smiled, and she exited the stand, still a little miffed at Minato-sensei.

_Well...at least he isn't a pervert like Kakashi-sensei and ero-sennin._

The image of Minato-sensei giggling over one of ero-sennin's books popped into her mind, and the disconcerting thing was that it didn't look _too_ strange.

…_I hope._

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"_We did it, Naruto…it's over."_

"_Yeah, but…"_

"_Naruto, relax," Sakura-chan said, playfully swatting at her head. "You're practically the only guy in Konoha who knows how to joke around at a time like this. Please…don't stop."_

_Naruto sighed. Sakura-chan was just as worried as everyone else. She relied on Naruto to keep her up, just as Naruto relied on Sakura-chan to keep her grounded. They were truly a perfect match for teammates…_

"_Yeah, sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, rubbing the back of her head. "I know. Everything will be okay now, right? Sasuke will be coming back to us." She nudged Sakura-chan's side with her elbow. "Right? Nothing will keep us apart now!"_

"_Naruto…" Sakura-chan's eyes grew soft. "Thanks, Naruto."_

"_No problem, Sakura-chan," she replied, giving her a thumbs-up and a big smile. "I'm not giving up on him! When we see him again, I'll beat some sense into him and we'll bring him home for sure!"_

"_Yeah, that's right," Sakura-chan replied quietly. "We will."_

Ooo.ooO

"_Naruto, wake up!"_

_Naruto jerked out of bed at Sakura-chan's frantic call and only just managed to land on her feet instead of falling out of bed. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"_

"_It's Ino…she's…"_

_Naruto made it to Sakura-chan's side in a matter of seconds. "Sakura-chan? What happened to Ino?"_

_Sakura-chan blinked furiously. "She's…dead."_

"_WHAT?"_

"_Th-they found her body just outside of 'Ame.' She was just…she didn't…that was just a guard mission, a C-rank! Who would kill her?"_

_Naruto put her arms around her former crush and hugged her, letting Sakura-chan rest her head on her shoulder. "She…who would kill her," Sakura-chan whispered._

_Naruto had a few ideas. After all…their 'God' was dead, killed by Konoha nin. Of course they were going to be angry. Naruto just hadn't known they'd…desire vengeance._

"_Akatsuki's-"_

"_They're _dead,_ Naruto," Sakura-chan interrupted angrily._

"_I know, Sakura-chan," she whispered. "But I wasn't blaming it on _them._ Akatsuki's base was in Ame, remember? That Pein bastard was pretty much their God. They worshiped the ground he walked on. Akatsuki was destroyed by Konoha nin…and Sasuke, but they didn't know about _him. _They're probably really mad at us."_

"_Oh, Naruto," Sakura-chan sighed. "I don't want to go to war."_

"_I don't either," Naruto replied softly. "It's not something _anybody_ wants. And…maybe it _won't _turn into a war. Maybe we can talk things out…?"_

"_Don't be stupid, Naruto. You know how it is when people get their minds stuck on revenge."_

_Naruto winced. It was Sakura-chan's subtle reminder of Sasuke's refusal to come home. "It takes them over," she said quietly._

"_We just have to prepare for war now," Sakura-chan muttered, extracting herself from Naruto's slowly tightening grip. "Ame is bound to have allies, and even though we're pretty much tied to Suna because of you and Kazekage-sama, it's…not enough. If Sasuke…"_

"_He's furious with all of us," Naruto reminded. "Especially me…and you."_

"_I know…but Hebi would've been such a great addition to our list of allies. And maybe if…"_

"_If what?"_

"_Well, I don't know who else Ame could be allied with, but…if we can get Kiri or even Kusa to ally with us, we'll have a much better chance."_

"_What about Kumo?"_

_Sakura-chan laughed without any real amusement. "They're not too happy with us…they haven't been since they failed to get the Byakugan. And we can count out Iwa, since they'll jump at the chance to get back at us for the war all those years ago. So we already have two elemental countries at our throats, allied with the followers of Pein."_

_Naruto walked back to her bed, and Sakura-chan followed, sitting next to Naruto, who was frowning. "I…know this is probably not the right thing to say right now, but I think we should keep trying to get Sasuke back."_

"_Naruto…I don't want you two to kill each other," Sakura-chan said sadly. "I want him back as much as you do…but he's not _coming _back. I don't want you to die, keeping that promise to me…"_

_Naruto shook her head firmly. "This isn't just about that promise. That _is_ part of it…but not all. Sasuke's really powerful, even though I hate to say it…I know he'd be really good to have on our side. And his new…teammates…they are strong too…"_

_Sakura-chan sighed. "Maybe you're right…we should talk to Tsunade-sama later. But please…if she doesn't let us go after him, please don't do it anyway."_

"_O-of course not, Sakura-chan," Naruto agreed. "I'd die before betraying Konoha."_

Ooo.ooO

"_No, Naruto, I will _not _let you go off on that kind of…_suicide mission!"

"_But…Tsunade-babaa-"_

"_Do you really think he'll listen to you _this _time, even though he's repeatedly turned you down all those _other _times?"_

"_I don't care if he listens or not," Naruto said hotly. "I'm gonna bring him back, no matter what, _and _I'm gonna make his teammates come too! If Sasuke makes his teammates and those other people following him help us, we have a better chance of winning against Ame! This isn't just about me and Sakura-chan any more, Tsunade-babaa! This is about _everyone _I care for!"_

_The Hokage blinked, and sighed. "I don't know what to do, Naruto," she muttered. "You're a great kunoichi, and you've made a lot of progress…you've helped us all…but I can't just let you go like that."_

"_No worries, babaa," Naruto reassured. "I'm not gonna die. I can't die until I've become the Hokage, remember?"_

Ooo.ooO

"_Naruto, you're such a troublesome guy," Shikamaru drawled. "You nearly got yourself killed. Why are you still pursuing him?"_

"_Like you'd understand, Shikamaru," Naruto retorted. "You don't know what it's like to watch one of the first people to ever acknowledge you, someone who could be your brother, walk away, knowing you can save him. Yeah, I could kill him, but I don't wanna kill him. I wanna save him!"_

"_What about yourself, Naruto? Who can save you, if you get too close to the edge?"_

"_I-I don't need saving," Naruto muttered._

"_You're not a god, Naruto. You're _human."

"_Shikamaru…"_

"_Don't ever think you have to be a god, just to prove you aren't a demon. We don't want another Pein, even if you have different goals and better intentions."_

Ooo.ooO

"_Tsunade-babaa? Where's Sakura-chan?"_

"_Naruto…"_

"_Where's Sakura-chan," Naruto repeated, an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach._

"_She lied to you."_

_Naruto frowned. "What?"_

"_There were at least five Ame jounin headed toward you, after you obtained that information. She knew, but she chose Konoha over her own life."_

_Naruto slammed her fist onto the desk between her and the Hokage. "I don't believe you! Sakura-chan is strong! She couldn't lose to-"_

"_Her body was found, along with the bodies of four Ame jounin, Naruto. She gave her life so that you could help us win the war!"_

"_No," Naruto whispered. "I…I don't believe you. She's just held up somewhere, she's not dead. Don't joke like that…"_

"_Naruto, please listen to me. Sakura is not coming back."_

"_Yes she is," Naruto shouted. "She's coming back! And then, we're gonna team up and being back Sasuke, because…because…" Naruto blinked back the heavy sensation in her eyes, and continued determinedly, "Because we're a family, and family don't leave each other! We'll find Sakura-chan, and Sasuke, and we'll win this war!"_

"_Naruto, get a hold on yourself," Tsunade-babaa shouted._

"_Don't lie to me, babaa," Naruto said angrily._

_Tsunade-babaa captured Naruto in chakra-enforced arms, and Naruto flailed, trying to get away. Sakura-chan was _not _dead!_

"_Calm down, Naruto," the Hokage sighed. "Losing loved ones is something we all go through…I know this personally. Please…don't let it overwhelm you. That happened to me…and you saw how I was before I became the Godaime Hokage. Please don't go down the same path I did."_

"_I…I won't let_ anyone _I love die, ever again."_

Ooo.ooO

"_Ch-Chouji? What's wrong?"_

"_It's Shikamaru," he muttered, not meeting her eyes._

_She felt her heart start to pound. "What about him?"_

"_He…he's dead."_

"_No," Naruto murmured, suddenly unable to swallow. "I'm sure he's just missing."_

"_His body-"_

"_That was probably a fake," Naruto said firmly. "Shikamaru's way too smart to get killed."_

"_Naruto…" Chouji rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I know you loved him. I know there's something about you that nobody knows, and I know Shikamaru knew it. And I know Shikamaru loved you too. But…please don't convince yourself of something that isn't true. It's all we can do, to keep living at a time like this."_

"_How can you just _accept _something like this," Naruto demanded angrily. "How can you just sit there and talk about your best friend dying, and not feel anything?"_

"_He _is _my best friend, Naruto, and he always will be. But if I allow this to take over, I might as well be _dead. _And right now, Konoha needs us both."_

"_You…you're just like _them," _Naruto shouted. "You're just like the rest! I thought _you _would be different…I thought you were more caring than that!"_

"_Naruto, listen to yourself," Chouji replied, halfway between calm and angry. "Do you think for one second that if I could've put myself in his place, I wouldn't have? I would've gladly died for him, but the point is, I _didn't! _It's not like we can afford to get swallowed up by our grief…we have _other _people to protect."_

"_I wanted to protect everyone," Naruto yelled back. "I didn't want to lose anyone else! I'm just…I'm a failure! I was supposed to protect everyone…"_

"_Calm down, Naruto," Chouji shouted, ducking a blow Naruto didn't remember throwing. "You're not doing _anyone _any good by freaking out like this!"_

"_Don't lecture me like you have room to talk, Chouji! We both failed to protect the person we cared about!"_

_Chouji caught her and held her arms while she flailed. "Naruto," he said firmly, "you're not a god. I know you want to save everyone, but you're not capable of that. None of us are. The best we can do is to honor their memories by helping Konoha win this war."_

_Naruto stiffened._

"_I…don't think I _am _a god," she murmured. "I just want to save my friends."_

"_I know…just don't ever forget that."_

Ooo.ooO

"_Well, well, Naruto," Sasuke drawled, smirking slightly. "You managed to catch up with me. Very good."_

"_Don't be so cocky, Sasuke," she replied in the same tone. "All I want is for you to come back."_

"_And you know very well there's nothing there for me. There's nothing there for _you, _either; why do you continue to fight for a nation which will soon fall?"_

"_We won't fall," Naruto replied determinedly. "We've been fighting this war for two years, Sasuke, and I've lost too many loved ones to let the other side win. We'll come out on top. Please…won't you help us?"_

_He laughed mockingly. "You truly are still the idiot you've always been. I have no ties to that village, or to you. Why would I go out of my way to help the people I despise?"_

"_Because we don't hate _you, _Sasuke," she pleaded. "You're…you're my brother. Sakura-chan…and me…and you…we're a family."_

"_And your precious Sakura-chan is dead," he returned. "I don't acknowledge you as family. You're fighting a losing battle. I'm not going to aid losers…not Konoha, and not _you."

"_Then I'll just have to beat you into the dirt and drag you back," Naruto shouted._

"_Just like you did all those other times?"_

"_Don't be so confident," Naruto replied. "I'm not going to hold back this time!"_

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"Naruto?"

Naruto started, and looked around. Seeing Rin, she relaxed. "Yeah?"

"Um…I have to ask you something."

Naruto scooted over, giving Rin some room to sit next to her, and leaned her head against the trunk of the tree again. "Ask away."

Rin frowned. "I…I was just wondering…um, why do you try so hard to get me to go out with Obito?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Do I need a reason?"

"Well, kind of. I mean…you don't really seem like the type of person who likes to play matchmaker, or who even…uh…likes to bother with the love lives of others at all. It just goes against everything I know about you."

"Well, they didn't label me the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha for nothing," she replied, shrugging.

"But I don't think that's your only reason," Rin countered. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want…but it almost seems like you're doing everything you can to make sure we…I don't know. It's just confusing, and I'd like to know…more about you."

Naruto turned her head to look at Rin head on. She looked determined, and confused. Naruto sighed. "It's…complicated," she said quietly. "You and Obito are my friends now. For some reason, I really feel drawn to both of you, and I…want _both _of you to be happy. As ninja, we could die any day…I just wouldn't want either of you to die without realizing how happy you could make each other."

Rin looked surprised. "Well…it's not as if that's the only thing that can make us happy."

"Listen," Naruto said. "During the war, the person I loved died before I got a chance to tell him. I found out later that he loved me back, but he never knew. After that, I…I decided that saving my friends came first, and once everyone was safe, I could maybe think about that_ other _kind of love again, but you two…are different. You still have a chance to find that person before the war starts. I think of you as a sister, and Obito…well, I'm not sure about what he is to me, but I know I love him as much as I love you. I just want you to know the kind of happiness I didn't get to."

"Naruto…" Rin sighed. "Naruto, I _don't _like him like that…I understand where you're coming from, but I can't do that. There's someone else that could make him happy though…"

Naruto lifted an eyebrow.

"You're kinda slow," Rin teased. "_You _could."

Naruto laughed. "I seriously doubt that, but that was a good joke. Rin, my loved ones aren't safe yet. I don't really have the right to be thinking about that kind of thing anyway."

"Tch. Don't be stupid, Naruto," Rin replied. "You have just as much right as anyone else to find happiness. You're not a god, you know."

Naruto blanched.

"_You're not a god, Naruto. You're _human."

"_Naruto, you're not a god. I know you want to save everyone, but you're not capable of that. None of us are. The best we can do is to honor their memories by helping Konoha win this war."_

"Naruto?" Naruto felt Rin's hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Naruto replied, swallowing and grinning sheepishly. "Musta just spaced out there for a second. No worries! I know I'm not a god…I wouldn't want to be one, anyway."

Rin nodded skeptically. "Don't take everything on your shoulders," she said softly. "You'll collapse…and we don't want _you _to die, either."


	10. Winning and Losing

Hehe, I felt so bad about the wait for last chapter I decided to update again.

In this chapter, there is a genin from Konoha named Suzuki Shinichi. Yes, this IS a little tribute to THE Suzuki Shinichi, the founder of the Suzuki music program. There will probably be quite a few little tributes in my stories, and I'll mark them as they come up.

* * *

Being in the stadium brought up a strange feeling, and Naruto stopped abruptly and clutched her stomach. 

"Naruto," Rin asked. "What's wrong?"

"Aha, nothing," Naruto replied easily. "Probably just ate too much this morning!"

"Idiot," Obito murmured. "Even _I _ate 'sparingly' like sensei said."

"Yeah, well, I need more food than you," Naruto retorted without conviction. She knew Obito was just nervous.

"Both of you," Rin chastised, "just wait until after the exams to argue, all right? Then, you can find out if I'll really make good on what I said before our first test."

Naruto met Obito's eyes, and they both shivered.

"Aha, Rin-chan, we were just kidding, right, Naruto?"

"Of course, Obito! That wasn't an argument at all!"

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Rin muttered fondly.

Both Naruto and Obito refrained from commenting.

As they reached the box reserved for chuunin hopefuls, Naruto grabbed her teammates' sleeves. "Hey, guys," she said quietly.

They looked at her and Obito answered, "Yeah?"

"I…" Naruto bit her lip. "Let's do our best, okay?"

Rin sighed and Obito looked bewildered. "Um, okay," he replied.

She hugged them both at the same time. "None of us are going to die today, okay? Just…don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Rin smiled. "Thanks, Naruto."

Obito looked at the ground and muttered, "The question is, what wouldn't you do?"

"I wouldn't stand around grumbling when my match was first," Naruto shot back cheekily. "Go get 'em."

He looked sick. "Uh…yeah. I'll do that."

"Don't worry," Naruto said with an easy smile. "You'll do fine."

And he did. His opponent was an embarrassingly weak shinobi from Konoha, who had been knocked out fairly quickly by six quick blows to the head and stomach. Obito came back to the box, looking disgruntled, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What's up with that face?"

Obito scowled. "Okay, so I want to become a chuunin, but I also want to…y'know…prove myself, and that wasn't even a fight! That guy didn't even fight back, he just stood there!"

Naruto grinned. "Maybe he was just scared of facing the terror of the Uchiha clan."

Obito's face flushed and he looked away. "More like the _failure _of the Uchiha clan," he muttered.

"Eh, you're not that much of a failure; at least _you_ graduated your first time. And don't worry about it," Naruto said cheerily. "You'll have to fight again; maybe that person will be more of a challenge!"

Naruto watched detachedly as a Hyuuga branch member beat down a genin from Kumo fairly quickly.

_Hmm…maybe that's what started that whole Byakugan deal, _Naruto mused.

"Match three: Tanaka Naomi of Suna versus Uzumaki-"

"Examiner, I forfeit," Naomi called out hastily.

"Uh…okay. Winner: Uzumaki Naruto. Match four: Suzuki Shinichi of Konoha versus Yamada Rin of Konoha. Please come down to the arena."

"Good luck, Rin-chan," Obito encouraged.

"Yeah, Rin. Beat Suzuki into the dirt, will ya?"

Rin smiled and left the box.

"Do you have a problem with Shinichi or something," Obito asked curiously.

"Um, no," Naruto replied. "I don't even know him."

"Then why-"

"Because Rin's gonna kick his ass, and we're all gonna become chuunin," Naruto explained with a grin. "You'll beat your opponents, no problem, and I'll beat mine. Rin's gonna be a chuunin with us!"

Obito smiled at her, but then nudged her side and whispered, "People hate you."

She rolled her eyes. "People have _always _hated me."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I mean those teams from Kusa and Suna must've told other people about…the incident in the forest."

Naruto winced. "Uh…well…not everyone's heard. I…I'll be able to become a chuunin, don't worry."

Obito shook his head. "I'm not worried about _that. _If no one wants to fight you, I think you'll probably either become a chuunin by default, or have to do something extra…that's not what's making me nervous. It's just that…I think they _want _to fight you, and I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Naruto shrugged off his unease. "I'll be fine," she reassured confidently. "I haven't died _yet, _after all, and I've been in much worse fights than these could be."

"Just…be careful," he muttered.

"Aww, Obito-chan…I knew you cared!"

"Don't say stupid stuff like that," he said gruffly. "And don't call me 'Obito-chan,' it's insulting."

Naruto laughed, and nudged Obito as Rin came back into the box as the winner. "Told you Rin'd win that one."

"I never said she wouldn't," he replied hotly, before turning to Rin. "Hey, good job, Rin-chan!"

"It wasn't that hard," Rin answered. "I just had to find out his weakness…and his is his eyes. They're really sensitive. So I hung my mirror around my neck, and it reflected the sun into his eyes while I immobilized him with senbon."

"Way to go, Rin," Naruto cheered. "Now _that's _using your head!"

"How would _you_ know what that is," Obito teased. "I doubt you've ever used your head for anything."

Without missing a beat, Naruto answered, "Of course I have! I beat Gaara with a headbutt."

Rin looked torn between amusement and despair. "Naruto…you…"

"I _what?"_

"Only _you _would be able to beat someone by cracking your skulls together."

"Hey, what are you trying to say?"

"That you're hardheaded," Obito answered, as if it was obvious…and it was, really.

"Yeah, well, it worked," she muttered. "Anyway, I think you're up, Obito. You're against that extra Kumo girl."

"Oh, goodie," Obito answered sarcastically. "A girl."

"Hey, _I'm _a girl," Naruto retorted, "and you have no problem beating _me _up."

"That's because you're not _really _a girl," he said slyly, and dropped from the box.

"Damn teammates, always saying stupid things," she muttered.

"It's not as if you've been thought of as a girl for long," Rin reminded her. "You _wanted _to be known as a boy."

"Well…yeah, but…"

"What's the problem? Why do you want him to acknowledge you as a girl, Naruto?"

She colored. "It's not _him," _she protested. "It's…well, now that everyone _knows _I'm a girl, I don't wanna have to keep reminding them!"

"Well, let's see how Obito does against this Kumo kunoichi," Rin said.

Obito was only using taijutsu, kunai and shuriken, but he was doing pretty well. The kunoichi (her name was Aino, Naruto thought she'd heard) was much more skilled than his previous one, but Obito looked like he was winning.

After a solid punch to the back of the kunoichi's neck, Obito returned to the box, grinning. "Told'ja I'd beat her," he said.

"No you didn't," Naruto responded. "You were over there complaining about having to fight a girl, if I remember right."

"Don't be a killjoy," Obito muttered. "I did good."

"Yeah, you did," Naruto agreed.

"Match eight: Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha versus Hyuuga Chokichi of Konoha. Please come down to the arena."

Naruto grinned at Obito and saluted. "Told ya I'd get to fight."

"Naruto, be careful," Rin warned. "He's Hyuuga."

"I know," Naruto replied, smiling mysteriously. "Which is not good for _him."_

She dropped from the box and faced the stoic Chokichi.

"Damn," she said conversationally. "Are all Hyuuga this boring? You couldn't be any more lifeless if I whitewashed your whole body!"

"You should save your breath," her opponent warned. "For this is your last match."

"Begin," the examiner shouted, and jumped out of the way.

Naruto cracked her knuckles. "So…Hyuuga, huh?"

"Yes," he answered, and dropped into position for Jyuuken. "I am Hyuuga Chokichi, and I will defeat you."

"Bring it," she said, punching the air excitedly. "I can't wait to see what you've got."

_Okay, Naruto, _she reminded herself. _Hyuuga fight close up, by pushing their chakra into those little points. So…get outta his range._

She jumped back a few paces. _Don't get too close…hmm…he's got Byakugan, just like Neji and Hinata. Maybe…_

Naruto formed a familiar cross with her fingers, and twenty kage-bunshin popped into existence, surrounding the boy. "All right, guys, you know what to do," she directed them, and they all brought their hands into the same seal.

_Hehe, I wish I could see what Rin's thinking right now__. She probably thinks I'll be doing something useless again.  
_

"GO," she shouted, and her attack began.

Five of her bunshin vanished underground – Naruto replaced them immediately –, and eight of them jumped up onto the walls. The rest of them spread out around the arena and began using kawarimi with each other almost constantly; Naruto was hoping to confuse Chokichi's eyes with the quick flashes.

"All right, team one," she shouted. "Do your thing!"

The bunshin on the walls threw kunai and shuriken quickly from all directions; Chokichi was dodging and reflecting very well, but he didn't use Kaiten. Naruto wondered why, but she wasn't upset about it.

At the same time, the bunshin underground readied themselves to jump out of the ground on Naruto's command. "Group two!"

The five underground jumped up and went for Chokichi, who dispelled them with ease. Naruto grinned; she could work with this. He wasn't like Neji at all; Neji had been very advanced, and Chokichi wasn't. Neji wouldn't have fell for that little ruse, but she had Chokichi right where she wanted him; she'd designed this specifically for spars with Neji. For some reason, Hinata hadn't ever wanted to fight her.

"All right, groups three and four, do your thing," one of Naruto's bunshin commanded, after receiving a signal from Naruto.

While Naruto and two of her bunshin disappeared into the ground, the bunshin who'd shouted the last command stood back, as the rest of her bunshin rushed Chokichi en masse. He deflected their blows quickly and efficiently, but didn't notice the trap Naruto had set; as soon as her 'commanding' bunshin had lured him into position, Naruto grabbed his ankles and pulled him into the ground.

All but two of her bunshin dispelled, and Naruto had the last two hold Chokichi's shoulders, while she flashed a victory sign. "You can't move, unless you can bite my bunshin out of existence and fly out," Naruto said with a grin.

Chokichi just scowled.

"Uh…winner, Uzumaki Naruto," the examiner said, slightly bewildered.

She smiled, and helped Chokichi out of his hole. She could see why the examiner was confused; to anyone who didn't have the Byakugan or the Sharingan, it would've looked like she barely did anything.

"Match nine: Yamada Rin of Konoha versus Sato Yukio of Suna. Please come down to the arena," the examiner called, sounding a little bored. Naruto figured it wasn't very fun being a referee.

"Good luck, Rin," Naruto whispered.

"You can do it, Rin-chan!"

Rin slipped out of the box and faced Yukio, who looked confident. Obito scowled. "That guy's a jerk."

"Well, I'm sure Rin will beat him up."

"Yeah, you're right. Rin-chan's strong."

Actually, Naruto didn't know how strong Yukio was, because she had only seen him fight for a moment, against a team of Kumo genin who'd handed over their scroll fairly quickly. She was confident that Rin could hold her own, but she wasn't sure she'd come out the victor.

"Begin!"

Rin flicked on her shobo, and Yukio drew his hands into a seal. Naruto blanched.

"He's going straight for the punch," Naruto muttered.

"What do you mean," Obito questioned.

"He's already preparing to use a wind technique, without even fighting hand-to-hand."

"Humph…what a bastard!"

Naruto nodded. "That hardly seems fair…but then, we're supposed to fight to win, not to have fun. I've never been good at that," she admitted sheepishly.

"Huh? Whadd'ya mean," he asked, eyes still glued on the arena, where Rin was dodging attacks and trying to get closer to Yukio.

"I mean that I hate mindless fighting. When I fight someone, I don't fight 'just because…' and I really hate to kill people. Most of the time, when I fight, I just want to teach the other guy a lesson."

"Oh," Obito said, and then winced as Yukio hit Rin with a hard punch to the sternum. "Ugh, I hope Rin-chan's okay."

"She'll be fine," Naruto said reassuringly. "She's smart…she'll be able to handle it."

Rin finally got close to Yukio, and began attacking him with her shobo, but he jumped out of the way and blasted her with another wind technique, which she countered by using kawarimi with him.

"Ooh, nice one," Naruto said admiringly. "I never thought of that one."

It was Rin's turn to go on the offensive, and she put her hands into a seal and muttered something inaudible.

To the rest of the spectators, it looked like Yukio had just stopped, and Naruto wondered what Rin had just done.

Rin seemed surprised that whatever she'd done had worked, but she recovered and ran toward Yukio, intent on disabling him. However, as soon as she reached Yukio, he moved again, and a jab to her left shoulder made her wince in pain. She was panting, and Naruto could see that she was tired.

Rin raised her hand. "Examiner," she panted. "I give up. I'm nearly out of chakra, and I think my shoulder's broken…I'll only be putting myself in much more danger if I continue."

The examiner nodded. "Very well. Winner: Sato Yukio!"

Rin made her way up the stairs and into the box, collapsing on the floor by her teammates. "Ugh…that took a lot out of me," she muttered.

"Oh, Rin-chan…you did good, anyway. That Yukio guy just got lucky," Obito said, grinning.

"Heh…just wait till you have to fight him."

"There will be a three minute break, and then our second to last match will begin," the examiner shouted to the stands. "Uzumaki Naruto versus Uchiha Obito."

"Damn," Naruto muttered. "That _sucks."_

"Yeah, I know," Obito replied despondently, looking down and scuffing the floor with his foot. "I don't really wanna fight you."

"It's not like I want to fight you either," Naruto replied. "How about we just stick to our normal rules?"

Rin raised an eyebrow. "What _normal _rules?"

Obito rubbed the back of his head. "Um…the rules we normally follow when we spar against each other."

"I've never heard about any of those rules."

"Uh…well…"

Rin narrowed her eyes. "What is it that you two aren't telling me?"

Both Naruto and Obito jumped, waving their arms. "Nothing! There's nothing to tell," Naruto said quickly.

"Yeah, what _she_ said," Obito reinforced.

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," Rin replied, rolling her eyes.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Um, well, we kinda got…bored, when we had time alone because you and Minato-sensei and Kakashi had other things to do, so…we made up a game."

"What _kind _of game?"

"Just a sparring game," Naruto muttered, looking at the wall.

"Oh, is that all," Rin asked, making Naruto and Obito relax.

"Yeah, yeah, that's all," Obito confirmed. "Just a sparring game. No one's ever gotten hurt or anything, right, Naruto?"

"Uh…yeah, right," Naruto agreed. _Except for that time I fell and broke my wrist, and those times I accidentally knocked you unconscious, but those don't count. And Rin doesn't need to know…_

"I…don't believe either of you," Rin said disapprovingly. "But at least you didn't _really _kill each other; you should've waited until you had a third person to referee!"

"Uh…sorry, Rin-chan," Obito murmured.

Naruto offered a half smile. She knew that, as a medic-in-training, Rin didn't like people getting rough without a backup plan, but…they really _didn't_ do anything _too _dangerous.

At least…not by _their _standards.

"But about the rules," Obito said, bringing Naruto out of her thoughts, "I agree. Um, but we should allow _one _technique; I'll use…uh…"

"You use your fire, and I'll use kage-bunshin," Naruto said, picking up where Obito had left off. "We'll just spar with taijutsu and those two techniques; and, uh, may the best man win."

"That would be me, every time," he teased. "You aren't much of a 'man,' Naruto."

"Shut up," Naruto muttered.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Naruto, make up your mind. Do you want to be a boy, or do you want to be a girl?"

"I wanna be a ninja," she replied cheekily. "Shinobi or kunoichi, it doesn't matter, since I'm the most awesome ever."

"Yeah, well, we'll let the next match decide that," Obito challenged with a smile.

"You're on."

"All right, everyone, it's time for the ninth match: Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha, versus Uchiha Obito from Konoha. Please come down to the arena."

Both Obito and Naruto dropped from the box. Naruto grinned at Obito, who grinned back, and Naruto whispered, "Let's give 'em a show, Obito."

"Definitely," he whispered back, and they both went to the middle.

"Begin!"

Naruto and Obito knew each other's sparring styles pretty well, since they often sparred against each other (more often than not, with_out _the knowledge of Minato-sensei or Rin), so they were pretty evenly matched; Naruto was stronger in terms of chakra reserves and flashy techniques, but Obito had better control over his chakra and knew how to predict her moves, even as unpredictable as she was.

Plus, they weren't using much ninjutsu.

She ducked a fist, and he jumped over a sweeping kick to his legs. She tried to knock the wind out of him by using both of her palms to strike different parts of his torso, but he grabbed them; she used the lull in movement to walk her feet up his chest and push off, flipping herself out of his grip. She jumped back a little and formed the seal for kage-bunshin. "Think we should take this up a level?"

"Oh yeah," Obito returned, and readied his Katon technique.

"Kage-bunshin no jutsu," Naruto shouted, and several replications popped into existence, only to be promptly removed when Obito let out his Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu.

"Aww, no fair," she cried. "Ah well…kage-bunshin no jutsu!"

Naruto and her five replicas disappeared, only to reappear underneath Obito. "U! Zu! Ma! Ki…"

Obito was _not _the one she was kicking, and she swore internally.

"Obito interception," he called out, pinning her arms behind her and pushing her facedown into the dirt.

"Ack, Obito, get offa me," Naruto wailed.

"Say uncle," he shot back.

"Are you nuts?"

"Just do it," he said, holding her hands tighter.

"Bastard," she muttered. "Examiner, I can't move at all. I…forfeit."

Obito let go and helped her up. "So…the better man _did _win," he said cheekily.

"Damn you," she muttered. "You've been planning that…_how _long?"

"Eh…about three days," he said, shrugging, and walked with her to the stands. "I figured I'd need something in case I fought you."

"And you decided not to tell me?"

He looked at her as if she was crazy. "Are you kidding me? Why would I tell _you?"_

"Uh…" Naruto frowned. "Um, because I'm your dearly beloved teammate, and you think I'm awesome?"

He laughed. "Even if that were true, all's fair in love and war."

"And which one is this? Love, or war?"

He flushed. "War, you idiot! Like I would ever want to go out with _you!"_

Naruto blinked. "Um, I never said you did."

"Well…" Obito looked away, and waved to Rin. "Hey, Rin-chan! Didja see me totally kick Naruto's ass?"

"Along with the rest of the people here," Rin replied dryly. "I think people are scared of _you _now, too."

"Uh…"

"Anyway," Naruto cut in, "you're gonna fight the winner of this match. You should watch and see what you can find."

"Yeah, sure."

Naruto watched Yukio flatten the Kumo shinobi, and silently prayed for Obito's well-being. Their team wasn't too liked by the Suna team, and Yukio had been glaring at Obito for a few matches now.

"There will be a ten-minute break, in which the last fighters, Uchiha Obito and Sato Yukio will prepare for their match."

"Um, examiner, I forfeit," Yukio called out, ignoring Kanaye's snort.

Naruto, Rin and Obito looked at Yukio, bemused, and listened in on Kanaye's rant. "How can you be scared of that guy? It's not like he's really _talented_ or anything. I mean…have you even _seen _him use his Sharingan _once? _And-"

"Shut up, Kanaye," Yukio growled. "He beat that Uzumaki – that means that he's got some sort of power over…uh…well, I'm not sure if Uzumaki is a guy or a girl, but that's not the point. I don't want to put myself in that situation, you idiot."

Rin laughed, and Naruto snorted impolitely. "I guess having me on your team has been somewhat useful, eh, Obito?"

Obito just frowned. "I…he didn't even want to _fight _me."

"Hey, lighten up," Naruto encouraged. "After all…you just won this whole tournament."

He blinked uncomprehendingly. "Huh?"

"Well…everyone else either got beat or forfeited. That means you're the last guy standing."

His face brightened. "That means…"

"Yep, you're the winner," she said smilingly. "Even if you _did _beat me in a stupid way," she added lowly.

"…And the Kages of your respective villages will let you know if you've received your chuunin rank," the examiner finished.

"Um, is that it," Naruto asked. "I never really knew what happened at the end of a…_normal _chuunin exam."

"Yeah, that's it," Rin answered.

Naruto looked at Obito, who was still dazed. "I…won."

"Yeah, you did, so now, there's only one thing we need to do to make this day perfect."

"Huh? What's that," Rin asked curiously.

Naruto snickered. "Ichiraku no jutsu!"

That seemed to snap Obito out of his stupor. "…Ichiraku?"

"Ugh, you two are_ hopeless," _Rin cried, putting a hand to her forehead. "You'll die from malnutrition!"

"Don't underestimate the power of ramen," Naruto returned seriously. "It might save your life one day."

Rin looked skeptical, but followed her teammates toward the ramen stand. "Well, since Obito _did _win, I guess it's okay for today."

"Damn straight," Naruto said, grinning. "Our team _totally _rocks."

* * *


	11. Naru Chan

Just a short, slightly filler-ish chapter, which is necessary but also sets the mood, a bit…Naruto's having fun. There's not a war going on, no one attacked at the chuunin exams, Akatsuki isn't after her…she feels peaceful.

I just though I'd clear up a few things here before I continue with this story (don't worry, this _is _a chapter, I'm just doing a bit of an explanation note beforehand).

First of all, in my prologue, I said that 'the Elemental Countries were no more.' Um, that's supposed to mean that Sasuke and everyone else don't exist any more, because as soon as Naruto left to the past, that_ future_ stopped existing. I thought I made that clear, but I guess it wasn't as clear as I'd hoped, since a couple of you have asked about how Sasuke's generation was doing. Sorry about that.

Secondly, there have been questions about why Naruto's a girl. In answer to your questions:

I have no idea. I don't even _like _girl!Naruto for the most part, and I didn't think I'd ever write it. But I'm sure you all know what it's like to have plot bunnies threaten to breed in your head…I'd rather write them out than stand around letting them make my brain fuzzy.

Also, this was only supposed to be a short romance…like maybe twelve chapters at most. Guh…like anything _ever _goes according to plan with my writing…now I've got a _series _planned out for this. Um, it'll be pretty long, but I think you'll like what I have planned for it (if you like what I'm doing so far). I'll give you a quote from a future installment:

"Hey, wait…Uzumaki Naruto…you're supposed to be a boy!"

"Huh? Whadd'ya mean by that?"

"In my dream…you were a boy."

Anyway, I just thought I'd let you all know that there's no real reason for Naruto being female except that my brain decided to go on vacation and let the plot bunnies commandeer my head.

Oh, and one more thing: last chapter, I named the Kumo kunoichi 'Aino.' Yes, that's actually a name (a derivative of 'Ai,' a pretty popular girls' name which means 'love'), but I chose it in tribute to 'Kalevala,' a Finnish epic poem not unlike the Iliad. Aino is the sister of Youkahainen, and also Wainamoinen's first promised bride, who drowns herself in Rune IV to escape the unwanted marriage. There's a pretty good English translation here:http://pge(dot)rastko(dot)net/dirs/etext04/kalec10(dot)txt just in case anyone's wondering.

* * *

"_Naruto, don't you _dare!" 

"_I've said before that I'll protect my friends with my life, and I'm not going to go back on my word, just because you say this is dangerous! I'll die for the people close to me!"_

"_Naruto, if you-"_

_Naruto tuned out the Hokage's voice and got to work on Fuuton: Rasenshuriken. If it killed her…that didn't matter. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want her loved ones to die, either._

_She had more chakra, and more control, now that Sasuke had done…whatever it was he'd done, giving her the demon chakra. So she'd push every ounce of chakra she had into her attack, and hope it was enough to save her friends._

"_Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!"_

_BOOM._

Ooo.ooO

"_You…how did you _do _that, Naruto?"_

"_I have no idea."_

"_And…is your arm okay?"_

"_Oh, this? Of course. It's only broken, cos I landed funny. Don't worry, it looks worse than it is."_

"_N-Naruto-kun…that was…"_

"_Eh? Hinata-chan? Are you sick or somethin'?"_

"_Wait…so let me get this straight…you used that technique, and the worst damage on your person is a _broken arm?"

"_That's right, Tsunade-baa-chan!"_

_CRACK!_

"_Ow, babaa! What the hell was that for?"_

"_For disobeying your Hokage, you twit! And…for using that potentially suicidal technique!"_

"_But it _wasn't_ suicidal!"_

_CRACK!_

"_Ow!"_

Ooo.ooO

"_You're…not connected to the fox any more?"_

"_Nope…I'm totally demon-free. Well, except the stolen chakra, of course."_

"_How did that happen…_when _did that happen?"_

"_I'm not sure how, baa-chan, but it happened last time I fought with Sasuke. He did something with his Sharingan…I don't know what it was, though."_

"_Hmm…that may explain why that technique works for you now."_

"_Um…why?"_

"_Because you can make use of _all _the fox's healing abilities, instead of just the limited ones seeping out of the seal."_

"…_Oh. Um, okay."_

"_Don't use that chakra, though, Naruto."_

"_How come?"_

"_Because…too much, and it will probably destroy you."_

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"NARUTO," a male voice boomed, and after jerking out of her dream, Naruto pulled her pillow over her head. _Headache…_

"Not now, sensei, I'm trying to pretend you don't exist," she mumbled thickly.

"I'm…not sensei," the voice said, and Naruto reluctantly pushed the corner of the pillow up to look at her 'attacker.'

"The hell are _you _doing here," she tried to demand, but it came out as a halfhearted groan.

"I'm your wakeup call," he answered loudly, and Naruto tried to throw her pillow at him. It didn't make it, and he squinted his eyes at her.

"You sure you're Naruto," he asked suspiciously.

"Whaa…of course I am, you twit," she replied, feeling some of her energy surface but deciding not to move.

He squatted down next to her, regarding her tired face with a critical look, before frowning.

"What," she asked, reluctantly sitting up.

"You look dead," he said matter-of-factly.

"I wish I was," she moaned.

"Don't say weird things like that," he said, flicking her forehead and glaring at her.

"If I was dead, I could go back to sleep," she justified, rubbing her forehead. "And don't flick me, it's too early. I can't fight back."

"If you _were_ dead," he retorted, emphasizing the 'were,' "then I'd make Rin-chan look up some badass bringing-back-to-life technique and use it on you, just so we could lecture you and make you do D-rank missions for life. And I'll flick you anytime I want; I know you'll just find some horrible way to get back at me later. Or at least _try _to."

"Obito," she nearly pleaded. "Make yourself useful and disappear." Then, she realized something. "Wait…where's Rin?"

"Ah…she's already starting breakfast…and that wasn't very nice, Naruto."

"I don't care if it was nice or not. Why is she in my kitchen instead of sleeping like a normal person? Why are _you _in my _house _instead of sleeping like a normal person? Why am _I _sitting here having a conversation with you instead of pinning you to the wall with kunai and going back to sleep like a normal person?"

"Why are you asking_ me _instead of asking yourself like a normal person," he replied cheekily.

"Because it's way too early to be asking myself important questions. I'll just forget them later."

"And to answer your earlier questions…it's eleven. You're being very lazy today."

"It's eleven?"

"Yep."

Naruto frowned. Eleven…that had some importance.

"It's _eleven,"_she shrieked, jumping up and running for her cupboards. "Why didn't my alarm go off? Why did you wait this long to wake me up, if you knew my alarm didn't go off? Oh, shit, I _hate _being late, and this…"

She stopped for a moment. "We…were all supposed to go together," she said slowly, comprehension dawning on her. Obito's barely-suppressed smile confirmed her suspicions.

"Obito, you ass," she growled. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't pin you to the wall with kunai _anyway, _and let you hang there while Rin and I eat?"

He grinned uneasily, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Um…because I'm your dearly beloved teammate, and you think I'm awesome?"

She blinked. "Uh…nice try. I'll give you points for memorizing, and you can take an extra point for pulling off the angel eyes, but those don't work on me any more."

"So…how many points is that," he asked anxiously.

Naruto swatted him upside the head – just a _tad _harder than she normally would've – and rolled her eyes. "You're off the hook for now, just because I can't be bothered to hurt you this morning. My head is _pounding."_

"Naruto, are you up," Rin asked without turning around.

"Ugh."

"Obito, I asked you to wake her up, not antagonize her. She's bound to be in pain," Rin admonished.

He frowned. "Um, what exactly is making you hurt? Uh…don't tell me if it's weird girly stuff, but what could you have been _doing _to end up like…_this?"_

"I did a stupid thing," she said between yawns, stretching.

"Now I _know _you're not Naruto; the Naruto _I _know would never say something like that."

"Don't be an idiot, I'll say it if it's true. I'm just not usually stupid."

"Oh," he answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "That explains everything. So…what stupid thing did you do _this _time?"

"Well…"

Obito leaned in, and Naruto resisted the urge to smack him. She had recently been channeling twelve-year-old Sakura-chan and that wasn't a good thing. "What?"

"I decided to try out the public baths last night," she admitted.

"So? What's wrong with that?"

Naruto colored a bit. "Um…I was tired last night," she began slowly. "I haven't used a hot spring since I've been here, and I'm used to using the men's side…I was always under henge, of course, but…um…I forgot last night, and…uh…there were people in it."

"Well…it's not as if anyone would really _object _to getting a free show," he said reasonably.

She frowned. "But I_ realized _what I'd done, and I apologized for being so spacey – they were all really nice about it, which wasn't comforting at all – and went to the women's side."

"I'm still failing to see the problem here. What happened next?"

"Obito," she cried. "What do you think happened? They saw me coming from the male side to the female side…I look like a guy…and _academy _students know henge! I got pounded by angry women screaming 'pervert' at me!"

He failed to hide his amusement. Naruto glared at him. "Hey, it's _not _funny! There's something about women…as soon as they notice a pervert, even if it's not really a pervert, they switch from 'let-me-brush-your-hair-dear-Naru-chan' to 'paint-your-faces-and-beat-the-war-drums!' It's freaking scary!"

"Yeah, I've noticed that too," Obito mused, and Naruto tried not to think of the implications of that statement.

Then, he looked slyly at her, and she got a bad feeling. "…Naru-chan?"

She scowled. "Don't you _dare, _Uchiha," she growled.

"Don't I dare _what,_ Naru-chan?"

"Obito," Rin chided, and Naruto felt suddenly guilty that she'd forgotten Rin was there. "Stop antagonizing your teammate. And you, Naruto…stop listening to him."

"Oh, thank you, Rin, that's the best advice I've heard all morning. I think I will. Would you like any help with breakfast?"

"Of course," Rin answered cheerily, moving over so Naruto could take over for her at the rice bowl.

"Hey, what can I do," Obito asked, sounding a little disgruntled.

"So, Rin, what do you have planned for today, other than answering our summon to the Hokage's office?"

"I'm not sure…we should plan something, though."

"Guys?"

"Yeah, we should. Maybe we could try to de-mask Kakashi again," Naruto suggested.

"Guys?"

"That's never worked before," Rin answered a bit sadly.

"Hey, guys!"

"It never hurts to try again."

"Fine, I'm just gonna sit here and not say anything."

Naruto returned Rin's secret smile, and they worked in silence for a few moments. Then, Naruto sighed and said, wistfully, "It's too quiet in here."

If looks could kill, she would've been dead.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"Uchiha Obito, Yamada Rin, and Uzumaki Naruto!"

The three stood at attention.

"I've called you three here for a special reason…"

Minato-sensei cleared his throat. "Hokage-sama, if I may…?"

"Go ahead," the Sandaime acquiesced with a nod of his head.

"Your mission is a very dangerous one," he said, a playfully ominous tone creeping into his voice. "You are to pursue and catch a dangerous runaway, called only 'Tora-'"

"What the…no way! Is that cat…like…immortal or something," Naruto wailed incredulously.

Minato-sensei just laughed, and the Hokage rolled his eyes.

"Actually, you're all here for a very different reason," he said, sounding serious once again.

"You three all showed skill during the chuunin exams," the Hokage began. "Naruto, your strategy against Hyuuga Chokichi was impressive, as was your fighting skill. Rin, you did well during your fights, and you knew when to give up. And you, Obito…you came out the winner of the tournament, and you came up with a way to counter a...threatening...situation. As a result, we have all decided that you three are to be promoted to the rank of chuunin, and you will begin your duties tomorrow. You three, along with Hatake Kakashi, will make up Team Minato. Are there any questions?"

Naruto exchanged wide-eyed glances with Rin and Obito.

_I'm really a…chuunin…?_

No one said anything.

"Then you are all dismissed; your chuunin vests are on the desk in front of me."

All three members of cell seven took their vests wordlessly, and Rin bowed to the Hokage while Obito gave a slight nod.

"Thanks, jii-chan," Naruto muttered, still slightly shocked, and she mechanically followed her teammates out of the office.

"Guys," Obito said seriously, after they were outside. "We're _chuunin."_

"Yeah," Rin replied, just a serious. "_Chuunin."_

"I've never been a chuunin before," Naruto breathed, and if she had been anyone but Uzumaki Naruto, it would've sounded ridiculous.

"Ichiraku no jutsu," Obito said solemnly.

Naruto snapped out of her stupor at once. "Oh yeah. Definitely!"

"No," Rin wailed halfheartedly. "Ramen is _not _good for you!"

"Rin," Naruto pleaded. "We're _chuunin _today. _Please…_it's a celebration. I'll treat you to dango on Saturday…_please?"_

Rin bit her lip as she was confronted with the 'angelic' eyes of Naruto and Obito. Naruto didn't feel _too _bad; she knew for a fact that Rin liked Ichiraku just as much as they did. She just liked to take useless things like health into consideration.

"Oh, all right," Rin conceded. "Ichiraku it is then."

Naruto slapped hands with Obito, swapping identical grins. "You finally pulled of the angel eyes," Obito whispered.

"I'm the one who started them, you idiot," she retorted lowly, hoping Rin couldn't hear.

"Yeah, well…I do them better than you."

"Well, I just _am _better than you."

"Jerk."

Naruto smiled; she was a chuunin, she had two really good friends, she was part of Team Minato, and she was going to change the future. She deserved to have a little fun.

Ichiraku no jutsu, definitely.

* * *

I chose the hot springs because I've always wondered what would happen if girl!Naruto got into a situation like that. This was just a fun, feel-good chapter. For me, anyway. 


	12. Getting To Know You

Just thought I'd let you all know...I've decided to make this a straight adventure story, with hints of romance (because there WILL be a series, because I'm unable to contain my plots). So for all of you who didn't want romance, happy birthday. And for those of you who did, happy half-birthday. Or...something.

I'm not going to post another chapter before Christmas, so I decided to finish this and post it as a present to all of you. So, happy Christmas, everyone. In this chapter, we have Rin asking questions Naruto doesn't want to hear, Obito reflecting on his clan, and a foreshadowing of future events. Enjoy!

* * *

Naruto loved mornings. There was something about feeling and smelling the morning that soothed her soul; she felt safe. Morning was hope. Morning was optimism. And most importantly… 

Morning was _ramen._

Mm, ramen.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Naruto padded toward the door in her pajamas and bare feet, carrying her cup of ramen, and opened the door. "Oh, hey, Rin! What's up?"

Rin smiled. "Can I come in?"

"Uh…sure," Naruto replied, and stepped back. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really," Rin said. "I just thought it would be nice to have some girl time. Obito's busy with clan stuff…I think one of his relatives just had a baby…or…I don't know. He didn't seem too happy about having to be there. But I just figured, you know…maybe we could just spend the morning together or something?"

Naruto slurped up the last of her noodles. "Sure. That would be fine. Come on in."

Rin smiled and pulled her shoes off, and followed Naruto deeper into her apartment. Naruto felt a sudden pang of homesickness, but she quickly pushed it down.

_I can't feel sorry for myself. I need to focus on saving everyone._

Naruto gestured to the empty space around her table and plopped down after throwing her empty cup away. "Take a seat; there's enough room."

"Thanks."

"So…what did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could do some training later today."

Naruto shrugged. "Sounds good. We should, um, actually find Kakashi and train with him."

"Why," Rin asked. "You don't seem to like him at all."

Naruto looked away, embarrassed. "I'm not too fond of him, that's true. But he's still part of our team, and I haven't really talked to him since we started training for the chuunin exams. Plus…I wanna see how it's gonna work, cell seven joining up with him."

"Well, Obito's not with us today, so we'll be missing an element," Rin reminded.

"That's true," Naruto replied with a shrug. "But really, we're a lot alike…and I kinda just want to find out how Kakashi reacts to me in particular. For some reason, he has a big problem with Obito, and if he's there too, Kakashi will focus on him. It's weird."

"They've been at each other's throats since we all met," Rin said. "I have no idea why…it's not as if…"

"As if _what?"_

"Well," Rin said hesitantly, "this is just what I've _seen, _but Kakashi-kun doesn't seem to think that Obito has any chance of getting to his level…and for some reason, Obito sees Kakashi-kun as a rival…but the thing _I _don't understand is why Kakashi-kun gets so frustrated with him. He even says things he _knows _will get under his skin, like he's baiting him. And it's not as if Obito actually _respects _Kakashi-kun…so I don't understand why they affect each other the way they do."

Naruto laughed. "Oh, Obito respects Kakashi."

"…Huh? Why do you say that? He's always got derogatory things to say about him."

Naruto leaned over the table, her forearms holding her weight. "Don't you remember? My genin team was the same. Kakashi's a lot like Sasuke, and hates being confronted. And like I said, Obito and I are a lot alike. He doesn't say it, but I can tell…he respects Kakashi, and he wants to surpass him _because _he acknowledges Kakashi's strength."

Rin frowned. "That's…weird."

"Yeah, probably," Naruto said, rubbing the back of her head. "But…would _you _want a weak rival? That's probably why Sasuke reacted like he did…I wouldn't accept _not _being his rival, and he didn't want a weak rival, either. It's just male pride."

"Naruto, you're a girl."

Naruto flushed and looked away. "Well, I'm a boy in the way I react to things…and girls can have that 'male pride' too! It's just an expression!"

Rin laughed. "It's okay, Naruto. I'll help you through this identity crisis."

"Rin," Naruto cried, falling back dramatically.

"I'm just teasing you, Naruto. But about Kakashi-kun, if you want to do that, it's fine."

Naruto sat up again. "Okay, cool."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, before Rin asked, "Are you ever going to tell the whole story to our team?"

"What do you mean? You know every-"

Rin shook her head. "I mean, are you going to tell Obito about the murderer of his clan, or tell Kakashi-kun anything at all?"

Naruto frowned. "I don't know. Why?"

"I was just wondering."

"Well…" Naruto sighed. "It's complicated. I don't want Kakashi to know…it's weird, I guess. I can't match this Kakashi up with my Kakashi-sensei, and…I guess I keep thinking that I'll tell him if he ever gets that stick out of his ass. I doubt he'll believe it anyway. And as for Obito…"

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Aside from not wanting to make him feel responsible for the future of his clan, I guess I just don't want him to think it over too much."

"What does that mean?"

Naruto's cheeks grew even warmer and she averted her eyes. "I don't want him to die," she answered quietly. "And if he finds out what happened…if he finds out how much he affected everyone…he'd do it again."

Rin pursed her lips. "How do you know _that?"_

"Rin, I know I've only known you guys for three months or so, but I've been able to get inside his head easily…probably because we're so alike. I know that's what he'd think…and even if we managed to beat the thought out of his head, it would just start a whole string of thoughts that aren't good."

"_You _were thinking about sacrificing _your_self, Naruto," Rin reminded. "And I know you still think it's an option."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm different."

"How are you any different from _him?"_

"Because I don't really _belong _here, and-"

"Don't be an idiot," Rin said icily, glaring across the table. "You're here; you belong here. You may know a possible future for us, but you're still a human being…I'm still trying to figure out where it's written that girls from the future don't deserve to be happy."

A strange feeling welled up in Naruto's chest and she clutched at the area, eyes wide. "I…"

"Why won't you just live," Rin asked quietly. "What _exactly _is it that you're trying to save us from?"

"You're just kids," Naruto said, voice raising quickly. "There's a _war _coming, and people are gonna _die…_if we manage to save Obito this time, what will keep him from dying _next _time – or keep _you _from dying? I don't want to see _any _of you die, and…you're just _kids!"_

"So are you."

Naruto shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean _you're _a kid, too. Maybe you've lived longer…but you're just the same as us. We're a _family, _Naruto. How many times have _you _said the same thing? Being family means we help each _other _out; when it comes time for us to help you, don't refuse it. You can't do everything on your own."

She didn't _understand…_Naruto could save them! She could prevent everything from happening, and when she had to take the fox out, they could live happily with each other! Why couldn't Rin just _listen?_

"No…you don't understand, Rin…it's not-"

Rin's face took on an enlightened expression, and she asked, "Naruto…do you know the technique your Sasuke used to send you back here?"

Naruto shook her head confusedly. "No…but I don't know what you-"

"Then you can't send yourself back to your own time. So stop living in your past! You may be in _our _past, but it's _your _present, and…oh, screw it. Just don't pretend everything's okay. I finally understand why you think it's okay if you just sacrifice yourself, but I don't think you realize that even though you weren't here the _first _time, we still love you. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a sister, Naruto. I don't want to lose my sister to some idiotic 'noble' idea."

The pain in her chest tripled in intensity, and Naruto focused on breathing normally. _What is this…?_

"You're probably going to think this is low," Rin finished quietly, "but you spent so much of your life trying to get your Sasuke back…because he was your brother. How would you have felt if he had died?"

_This isn't the same, _Naruto wanted to say. But then she realized that…maybe it was.

"I…"

Rin smiled a _very_ small smile. "Just think about it, Naruto."

She _definitely_ would.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"Hey, Kakashi," Naruto called. "Get over here."

He looked toward the voice and tightened his jaw a tiny bit. It was _Naruto. _The_ second _most irritating person in existence.

"What do you want," he asked tightly.

"Oh, don't be such an ass. We just want to train with you. So get over here!"

Rin looked annoyed, and forced a smile. "What Naruto means, Kakashi-kun, is that we'd like to train with you, since we're all going to be on the same team. She just has _no tact, _and doesn't know how to _ask for things."_

Naruto only shrugged. "That works too, I guess."

Did he want to train with them? The benefits of finding out his teammates' current fighting abilities and style would be great, but…

_Naruto._

Even _Obito _would be an easier person to train with…

…Wait.

"I suppose."

He would just forget he'd ever had that thought.

Naruto grinned like an idiot. "Excellent!"

Rin's eyes widened. "Naruto, you may _not _use _any _of…_those _techniques."

Naruto frowned confusedly, before grinning again. "I wasn't planning to…and anyway, I wouldn't do _that."_

Kakashi could've _sworn _her lips had formed the words, _'While you're here.'_

But no noise came out.

_Please, _he thought, _let her have changed…just a little. For the sake of my sanity._

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

It was at times like these that Obito was _really _glad he was Uchiha instead of Hyuuga. Not because he particularly _liked _these events (or even the majority of his clan), but he'd heard about the Hyuuga way of dividing the main family from the side family, and it sounded awful. He considered being shunted unceremoniously to the side a blessing, as opposed to being branded with that seal.

Then again, it was _also _times like these when Obito realized just how lame clans were in the first place. Honestly, who _cared _if his cousin had just been accepted as the future head? His cousin was just a little kid – not even two years old. Who could guess if he'd turn out like his father – Uchiha Fugaku, a 'genius' – or like Obito, a well-rounded 'failure?'

Of course, little Itachi was going to have other siblings…Fugaku-kusotare and his pretty wife, Mikoto, would most likely try for another son, in case anything happened to Itachi.

Who was a year and a half, had just started to learn to run (thus, the 'celebration'), and was sure to be heaped with expectations and responsibilities. Obito knew that, if it had been him in Itachi's place, he would've flipped out by now. Y'know…gone crazy, murdered them all…you know the drill.

The thought would've been funnier if it weren't for the fact that Naruto had mentioned the whole clan _getting _massacred by…someone. She would never be very detailed; she only ever mentioned Sasuke, anyway.

Obito disliked Sasuke, and he didn't really know why. He'd never met the guy, and he wasn't born yet (since he'd been the same age as Naruto before she'd come), but every time Naruto mentioned him, Obito got a weird feeling. Like he wanted to break something, preferably Sasuke's face.

The only reason he could think of is that he'd tried to kill Naruto several times (who would do that? Naruto was cool), but it wasn't as if Obito _hated_ Sasuke; he just…didn't like him at all.

Well, at least he didn't have to worry about that for another couple of years. Right now, Itachi was happily chewing on Obito's sleeve, having been pushed into his arms by his mother.

"Hey, cousin," he said softly. "You're really unlucky, you know that?"

Itachi just hummed happily and continued chewing. Obito laughed without any real amusement. "Here's hoping you don't end up a genius. They'll tear you apart, you know."

Keeping an eye on Itachi's parents discussing some future political crap with some other stuffy adults, Obito continued, "Now listen carefully. I hope you're not like me, either…they'd tear you apart for _that,_too. Maybe you can get by with being slightly better than average…like, being able to activate your bloodline at ten, right after you become a genin. You could become a chuunin at eleven, right before you turn twelve…and _then _you could become a great Uchiha, and lead the clan, and all that other crap."

Itachi turned his head around to look at Obito with a scrunched nose. "Ucha."

_Figures, _Obito thought. _The word he recognized first was 'Uchiha.'_

Still, he smiled at the toddler. "So, what do you say, huh? You ready to grow up?"

Itachi blew a raspberry at him, and Obito smiled wryly. "Me too, kid. Me too."

"Oh, Obito-kun, Itachi-chan certainly has taken a liking to you," Mikoto-san called in a smooth voice.

"It seems that way, Mikoto-san."

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind watching him, if we ever need you to?"

"O-of course, Mikoto-san," Obito answered with a forced smile. It was a rhetorical question; he'd do it whether he wanted to or not. Not that he _didn't _want to…but if that were the case, it wouldn't matter. He was just lucky that kids were cute and tending them was fun.

He was a little miffed that age and politeness called for a forced smile instead of his own raspberry...but at least Itachi did it for him.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"We need to talk."

Women everywhere dreaded hearing those four words. They were the words that signaled the end of a relationship more times than any others. And, just like any other woman, though she loved and trusted her fiancée, Kushina was nervous.

"Is there something wrong?"

Minato smiled, and Kushina felt a _little _relieved; he wasn't trying to make the smile reach his eyes. It was more of an _I-hate-something _smile than an _I'm-lying-to-you _smile, and that was a _little_ comforting.

"Not…quite. Um…do you mind coming with me? I want to show you something."

Kushina nodded hesitantly. "…Sure."

He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him…for the time being, he hadn't given her any reason to be angry.

"So…where are you taking me, Minato?"

"Training ground seven," he answered.

"And why's _that?"_Kushina felt a little better; he'd proposed to her (in the most unromantic of fashions) after a training session in that area. He'd be an asshole to break up with her there, and he wasn't an asshole…most of the time.

"That's where three members of my team are training."

Kushina blinked; that was unexpected. But no matter; she's just stick it out and see what he had in store for her.

They neared the training grounds, and he squeezed her hand a little. "We're stopping here," he said quietly.

"Um…okay," she replied, just as quiet.

He pointed to the blonde…boy? Girl? Kushina had seen the person before, briefly; if she remembered correctly, the person had looked dismayed to see her.

"That girl's name is Naruto," he said quietly.

_So it's a girl?_

"I've seen her before."

"I know," he answered, and sighed. "There's something about her I want you to know. It's important to all three of us…and if you want details, you'll have to ask her yourself. But…she's…family."

Kushina felt a weight she hadn't even been aware of lift off her chest. "Oh…family? Now that you mention it, she looks an _awful _lot like you. It's just hard to see, because she's covered in orange. Which is awesome, by the way. Now…what about her is so important, Minato?"

He frowned. "Um, basically…uh…she's…"

"She must be something else, to take away your speech," Kushina teased, grateful that she could use that sentence in a way _other _than to put on a brave face. She realized just how strange love was; it could make even the most confident person feel unsure of themselves.

"Not…particularly, no," he answered, clearly uncomfortable. "She's…different."

Kushina watched the blonde girl throw a taunt in Hatake Kakashi's direction, and she smiled a bit. "She reminds me a little of your other student," she said.

"Obito? Yeah…they're very similar, those two," he replied. "They're very close already."

"Where is he now?"

Minato rolled his eyes, and something told Kushina he wasn't very happy with someone. "He was detained."

"Ah…clan crap," she asked rhetorically. Most of Konoha's clans were…very stuffy and overbearing. And boring.

"As a responsible jounin of Konoha I should tell you that it's clan _business…_but yes. _Exactly _what you said."

Kushina smiled. "Ah. Now…what about this Naruto? She looks like she could be your little sister."

"She does, doesn't she?"

"Yes."

Minato sighed again, and Kushina got the feeling he had been thinking over this for a while. "I guess what I'm _trying _to say here is…that I'd like you two to talk, and get to know each other. She's a wild card – she could either warm right up to you, and start calling you 'nee-chan' within the first few minutes, or she could completely shut herself off. Oh, she'll be pleasant enough either way, but you can tell by her eyes how she's really feeling. She's good at defending herself, if you don't know what to look for…but I've had practice."

Kushina looked down. "Yeah…I suppose you have."

He caught her hand and squeezed it. "Hey…I love you."

"And I love _you, _Minato. But we both know all that already."

"So we do."

"I _do _want to get to know her…especially since she's the only family of yours I'll ever get to meet."

He winced minutely, but she caught it.

Kushina frowned. "What?"

"Just…if you ask her about her parents, she might not tell you. So…just give it time. I really want her to know you…I care a lot about you both, you know. Even though I've only known her for about three months, she still feels like family to me."

She smiled gently. "There are some things that stay true, no matter how invisible they seem, and the familial bond is one of them. A person isn't meant to go through life without family; if we can't have one, we make one. That's the way it is. Where has she been this whole time?"

"Lost," he responded softly.

"Well, I'm glad you've found each other."

"I am too."

Kushina knew why she loved him. Suddenly, she had a thought.

"Hey…does she like ramen?"

He groaned, and she grinned. "I'm gonna like her."


	13. Rhyme and Reason

I should make something clear, because I just realized that it's confusing…of course, I'll go over it in later chapters, but for now…

Ages.

I'm allowed to get creative with this, because I am the author and I can do whatever I want…so here they are:

Namikaze Minato-sensei: Because I can, I'm making him 19 years old. I figure, if he's made Hokage at 20-21, and Kushina has Naruto about two years after, that's a good age. Right?

Uchiha Obito: He's thirteen in this. He'll be turning 14 on his next birthday (which will be soon, but I'll probably only do a one shot, and leave it out of the story except for a mention of his new age). The way I see it, he graduated at age 12, and his sensei didn't recommend his team for the chuunin exams the first time. Since it isn't actually normal for a rookie genin team to be nominated, this makes sense to me.

Yamada Rin: She's twelve. She graduated at eleven, and she's been on a team with Obito ever since.

Hatake Kakashi: Twelve. He became a chuunin at…was it six or eight? I'm going to stay with six. So, he became a chuunin six years ago.

Uzumaki Naruto: Physically, she's twelve. Mentally, she's seventeen. Emotionally…well, let's just say that she's a little young, emotionally. Not because she's emotionally immature, but she trusts people too easily, and she's a little _too _forgiving. Remember, young doesn't always mean immature, and immature doesn't always mean bad. Old doesn't always mean mature, and mature doesn't always mean good, either.

About the chuunin exams and teams and such…

I had a thought. I'm not sure if this is right or not, but if it isn't…in my story, this is how it's going to be.

Suppose that Rin, as a genin, gets put on team…let's say…four. So, Rin's on team four with Obito and Hiro, let's call him, and when her team enters the chuunin exams for the first time, Hiro quits being a shinobi before the second task (round, whatever) finishes, because he realizes that being a ninja is gory and not at all like it sounded in the academy. Obviously, their team would be disqualified, and they wouldn't have a third member.

Now, along with this, their jounin sensei gets a long-term mission and asks a nice young jounin to take over Obito's and Rin's training, until the old sensei gets back. This new jounin, Namikaze Minato, who hasn't been able to take on a genin team yet, agrees – and along with that, he takes on a chuunin to give them the minimum required numbers for a team.

Rin and this new chuunin teammate, Kakashi, get along fairly well. Obito and Kakashi clash as soon as they meet, but because the team works together fairly well, Minato-sensei agrees to keep this new team, and the old jounin sensei decides to finally say yes to the ANBU, something he's been avoiding for years.

It may sound strange, but that's something I can see happening easily, and it's really the only explanation I can make for the age differences – even in canon (didn't anyone else pick up on that?). So yeah…I may or may not go over that, but if I don't, just think of that as a little back story. Obito and Rin were actually part of team four, but their old teammate crapped out on them.

* * *

In Naruto's life, strange things were a common occurrence. She _had _been thrown unceremoniously back in time – what could be weirder than _that?_ But _this _was a whole different _level _of weird. 

Uzumaki Kushina was sitting beside her at the ramen stand, asking to spend some time with her. Naruto had a sneaking suspicion it was Minato-sensei's fault, but she knew for a fact that her mother didn't know her story at all.

She'd just asked how Naruto was related to Minato-sensei, after all.

What could she say? 'I'm his daughter?' That wouldn't go over very well…and she _did _want Minato-sensei to be happy.

Instead, she smiled weakly and answered, "Right now, we're not too sure."

There. Nicely inconspicuous…and it _was _true. Was he _really _her father, if she hadn't been born yet? And could she bring herself to call him 'Dad?' To her, he was still 'Minato-sensei.'

Would she be able to call Uzumaki Kushina 'Mother?'

…Since when was she so self-conscious?

"Oh, I see. Um, why don't you tell me about yourself? I want to know about you."

Well. That was nicely blunt.

"O…kay."

Naruto paused for a moment and counted the bowls beside her.

"But first, we should eat more ramen."

Kushina's face was unreadable as she asked, "_More?"_

Naruto nodded somberly. "More. I've only eaten two. _Two! _And I've got a little extra money today."

The grin on Kushina's face was almost exactly like Naruto's. "Excellent! More ramen it is, then."

Four bowls later, they were finished – neither of them had any leftover money. "Mm, that was good," she sighed.

Kushina nodded. "Very."

Naruto glanced over at her 'mother,' and smiled. "So…where should we talk?"

She wasn't sure what she'd tell her…but Kushina had passed the ramen test. Anyone who liked ramen as much as Naruto did deserved a chance, at least.

"Why don't we go find an empty training area? We can spar or something if we get bored."

Naruto's subconscious mind was suddenly struck with the realization that weird was relative – in an entirely civilian village, 'girl time' usually involved shopping or braiding hair. In a shinobi village, 'girl time' usually involved 'sparring;' also known as 'beating each other up,' unless a girl wasn't a kunoichi. But aside from Teuchi-jii-chan's daughter, Ayame-nee-chan, Naruto had never actually _met _a non-kunoichi from Konoha.

Yep, weird was relative. She could work with this.

"Yeah, let's go," Naruto said, feeling as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders and not really knowing why.

The short walk to the vast expanse of the training grounds was filled with silence – something Naruto wasn't too pleased about. She knew _how _to be silent – she _understood _silence – but that didn't mean she had to _like _it. She fidgeted.

Kushina (-chan? -nee-chan? -san? Should she use an honorific at all? Shut up, Self-Doubt, no one likes you!) fidgeted beside her.

"Um…I don't really know what to say," she began, "but I feel like we should say something…or at least _one _of us should."

Naruto nodded. "I don't know what to say either, but I don't like silence. We're together for a reason, you know?"

That seemed to break the ice for Kushina-_perhaps-I-ought-to-use-an-honorific, _because she smiled and asked, "So…tell me about yourself, then?"

Naruto looked around for a moment. "What do you say to area three? And I'll tell you what you want to know after we get there, or I'll get sidetracked and forget where we were going."

Embarrassing but true. She disliked admitting faults, but she also disliked forgetting important things. She stuck with the lesser of two evils.

"Area three is fine. I actually like it…there's a sort of obstacle course planted in it, did you know? You have to be on your toes at all times, or you'll get hit by random traps they set every day. I think they sometimes use this place for genin placement tests."

"No, I didn't know that," Naruto replied. "Anyway, we can sit…um…can we sit there?"

Kushina-_perhaps-I-ought-to-use-an-honorific_ laughed and inspected the low branch of the tree Naruto had pointed to. "If you want to go for a ride."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"

"This branch here," she answered cheerily, "is actually a clever little trap. It pretends to be a branch, but it's really not, as lots of genin have found out the hard way. Anyway, I know about it because it's _always _in place when I come here…and it'll send us swinging. If you let it catch you off-guard, you'll probably end up with at _least _a couple of bruised ribs. See those trees? It'll fling you into them. If you know when to jump, though, it can get really fun."

Naruto grinned. "Normally, I'd say to bring it on, but we can do that after, right?"

"I couldn't say it better myself."

"So, where should we go then?"

"There's an innocent tree over here…we could climb up."

Naruto agreed, and they situated themselves on a high branch. "I love sitting in trees," she supplied quietly. "They remind me of the second lesson my sensei taught me."

"And what was that," Kushina-_perhaps-I-ought-to-use-an-honorific _asked. "Tree-climbing?"

"No, that was the third thing," Naruto replied with a little smile. "The second thing was that I shouldn't ever underestimate people."

"Oh, really? And how did he teach you that?"

"He walked up the tree using crutches and only one eye, and after that, he immediately took out _Ich – _uh, a dirty book, and started giggling. I don't think I really got it at the time, though…to me, he was just my weird sensei who just happened to be good enough to stand up to an A-rank missing nin and look cool doing it."

Her companion frowned. "You fought an A-rank missing nin before your sensei taught you _tree-walking?"_

Naruto shrugged. "Well, I wasn't on a normal team…and it was one of our first missions." _Why do I feel bad about lying to her? I can't just _tell _her. _"It was supposed to be C-rank, but the guy who hired us was a big fat liar. I don't blame him – he couldn't pay for an A-rank, and it was really important for a lot of people. And we all learned a lot on that trip, so it's cool."

"Where did you come from?"

Naruto refrained from tossing out that old, _horrible, _'When a mommy loves a daddy…' line. Not only was it dumb, even by her standards, but the mental images it brought up…no. Just…no.

"Um, I sort of traveled around, I guess. We were Konoha ninja, but we didn't live _here…_"

"Oh, you mean like an orbit group?"

Naruto thanked whatever kind deity might be out there for providing a legitimate story. "I think so. We learned from different teachers, and sometimes we got personal training, but we had teams…I was team 'seven,' so it really surprised me when I got team seven again when I came to the village. I never thought I'd meet Minato-sensei; until a little while ago, I didn't even know I was related to him. I didn't know _who _my family was."

It was _kind of _true.

"So…why did you come to Konoha? It was kind of sudden, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It was…because of an accident. I got in a fight, and I had to come back to Konoha to get…help."

"You seem okay _now,"_ Kushina-_whatever _observed, looking her over and swinging her feet a bit.

"Yeah, well, I heal fast. It was more of a…mental…um, emotional…thingy. Psychological…like the stuff people have to get therapy for sometimes."

"Psychological?"

"Yeah. I'm not very good with that kind of stuff…I'd rather just beat things up until I'm not angry or sad, or beat people up until they stop being stupid. I like being happy, and I like to see other people happy."

"Yeah…I do too."

"Anyway, what about you?"

"I'm from what used to be Whirlpool. I've always loved being a kunoichi, but at the same time, I've always hated it…I'm a ninja. It doesn't matter if I'm a girl or a boy, right?"

"Exactly," Naruto agreed. "I actually pretended to be a boy for a long time. I'm not sure if it's a compliment to my superior pretending skills or an insult to my group's observing skills that no one ever noticed."

There was a short, fairly companionable silence, before Kushina-_whatever _asked, "So…what's your _real _story?"

Naruto cringed. "What do you mean?"

A shrug. "Call it a weird sixth sense that just popped out of nowhere, but I know that you're not telling the truth – or at least, you're leaving a lot of stuff out, and leading me to believe something untrue. I'll admit, I'm not the greatest when it comes to piecing things together, but I _am _a ninja, and I feel this really weird connection to you."

Naruto eyed her warily. "Um…what is it you want to know?"

"Whatever you think you can trust me with," was the reply. "I'm not gonna _force _you or anything…but, you know, it'd be nice to know some details about my fiancée's family. You're the only family I'll ever get to meet."

Why did that make her feel bad?

"Um…"

"Oh, for crap's sake," her companion said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not gonna _eat _you. And even if I was, why would I ask you about yourself before doing it?"

"Because you want to find out how I'd taste?"

It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself; before she even knew she'd been thinking it. There was a pause, and then they both laughed, breaking the tension that had built up.

She made a decision.

"I'll tell you later," she said. "I wanna get to know you first."

Kushina-_whatever_ shrugged. "Fine. I'm not usually patient, but I can tell it'll be hell trying to drag it out of you, and you seem like the kind of person who would keep a secret until you died, if you wanted."

"Yeah…that's true."

"Well, then…we're kind of going to be sisters, or at least cousins, when Minato and I get married. Whadd'ya say?" She stuck out her hand and cut it. "Sisters?"

Kushina-nee-chan?

Well, it sounded better than 'Mom.'

"Sure," she agreed, and shook on it. "Sisters."

Bonded by blood, in both senses of the word.

Naruto smiled.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Despite everything that had happened…despite the surrealism of the whole situation…Naruto had, upon arriving and coming to terms with her situation, decided what she _needed _to do. She had been given a second chance…and what better way to use a second chance than to prevent bad things from happening? It had all come together nicely, and she had rested well that night.

But then, she'd met her team.

It had been a smack in the face to see the resemblance between _this _cell seven and _her _cell seven; it had been even weirder to know that Hatake Kakashi was in both cells, but two very different people. It had given her a strange feeling of vertigo, when she'd thought on her day before bed, and for the first time, she'd questioned herself completely.

What was more important? Being able to save the people she'd grown up with (and her parents, of course) by keeping the timeline _exactly the same _until the right moments, or trying to save these new people, without _knowing _what the 'triggers' were? What if she failed one group but helped another? What if she failed them both?

Moments of self-conflict were rare to Uzumaki Naruto, and she had never liked them. She had never liked wondering what to do next, and she had never liked being underestimated by _anyone…_including herself. In that split-second pause of her brain's insecurity, she'd heard herself tell Minato-sensei that Obito had died on a mission, giving her Kakashi-sensei his newly-awakened Sharingan eye.

She had no idea what events she'd set in motion that first day, but she could only push herself harder and harder to make everything turn out okay. She'd give her own life to make sure that everyone stayed safe.

Sometimes, Naruto felt as if it she was all alone; it didn't make sense, and she didn't understand why she would feel that way _now. _For the first time in her life, she had a chance to be a sister to people (instead of a brother), and her teammates liked her for the most part…so by all accounts, she thought she should've felt _less _isolated.

And on days like this, when Rin made it a point to get Naruto's mind on more mundane things – despite the ongoing war, despite Naruto's self-assigned duties, and despite the growing feeling that not all of them would make it through this in one piece –, Naruto wondered if maybe that loneliness really was her own fault, after all.

"Naruto," Rin said, for what had to be the eighth time this afternoon, "you can't train _all _the time. What about things like food, and chakra exhaustion?"

"Don't be stupid," Naruto replied, sounding harsher than she meant when she accidentally-on-purpose hyper extended one of her knees and had to hold back a grunt of pain. "I'm not going to run out of chakra, since I'm barely using any, and I ate a few hours ago. I'm not aiming to _kill _myself; I just need to get _stronger."_

"You're not going to get stronger if that's all you do," Rin countered. "And don't _do _stuff like that; you're going to make yourself more susceptible to field and training injuries."

Naruto decided to ignore that last comment; she knew that Rin was only looking out for a friend, but Naruto could afford to make 'mistakes' like that because her unique healing capabilities would only make the weak area stronger. She took a deep breath, and kicked a high invisible target with the heel of her left foot. "It's not all I do, but certain things have just made me realize exactly how far behind I am."

Rin was quiet for nearly a whole minute, and Naruto found herself stopping her kata in order to make sure her sister was all right. Rin sighed warily, upon seeing this.

"Naruto," she finally said, sounding almost defeated. "What is it you need from us?"

It wasn't the _words _Rin spoke; neither was it the expression on her face, nor even the tone of her voice. But those three factors, added to the situation, gave Naruto a feeling in her stomach akin to the one you'd get after being publicly humiliated by your best friend while sick with influenza.

It was horrible.

She licked her lips, only mildly aware that she was standing loosely, having been hit with the realization that she was behaving exactly like Sasuke had, and making people feel the way Naruto herself had felt. She didn't like thinking that she was being selfish, but if it was true, she'd rather stop than pretend it didn't exist and just hurt more people. She'd had enough with hurting the ones she cared about. So, she made a decision.

What did she need from her sister, from her team? What did she need from her friends?

"I think…maybe I need you and Kakashi and Obito and Minato-sensei to eat with me tonight. And if you can, I need you and Obito to come with me to watch the sunset tonight."

When Rin smiled, Naruto forced herself to allow the little bit of guilt she felt at not dedicating every waking moment to saving Sasuke be buried, at least for a little while. And while she was busy burying that guilt (she knew it was there, so she could dig it up later when she needed motivation), she buried her suspicions – that maybe she wasn't_ only _doing this to save _them, _and that maybe she was doing this more for her _own _benefit than anything else. She didn't need more guilt when she couldn't even handle the stuff she had.

* * *

Okay...sorry, guys, for being late and procrastinating, but I've been extremely distracted. By Karin and the godliness that is Guitar Hero...also, by Karin's recently written novel, and by several small annoyances that I could've ignored but decided not to. Um, also, I discovered that my father has a stash of 'Wheel of Time' books, and how could I possibly resist reading them over?

Anyway, I'll try to keep my updates closer together, but now that I've read Karin's novel, I've decided that it might be fun to try my own. So I might not be updating as much. Just a warning.


	14. Bricks and Stones and Broken Bones

I'm sorry I'm so late with this update...like I said in my update of Strangely Familiar, I had to save a vampire from dying of stupidity. Lol. Anyway, when I realized how late this was, I decided to write a super chapter for everyone. Thirty and a half pages, yo! For all of you who wanted/didn't want romance, here's the scoop on this chapter.

This is the chapter with all the dates in it. In that sense, it's romantic. But no one will be dating anyone during Cause and Effect.

Some of you will want to ask why I didn't make Naruto all badass. The answer is really simple: I hate it when writers make their characters SuperCharacter instead of HumanCharacter. Let's face it...we all have our faults, and just because our favorite characters are fictional, that doesn't mean "SuperCharacter" is realistic. Naruto is smarter but not a genius, and stronger but not super. This is because she has more experience. She still lets her temper get the best of her, and she's still overly emotional at times.

There's another little tribute in here; well, it's actually not little. When I was thinking up missions, I remembered hearing about the White Fox Dance (shirogitsune odori) in Tara, and I decided to use it. Because I'm just not that creative. Um, and I used the name Mt. Tara because...I needed it. If you want to learn about that stuff, I suggest you DON'T go off what I've written here; I've tweaked things to fit my insane plot.

Oh, and I used the name "Matsuo Fumisuke," which is the name of a neurologist where I live.

In conclusion, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to MissFinnish, who was looking forward to reading about their dates. Sorry, MissFinnish, but I decided to name this chapter something else. Anyway, please enjoy, all of you!

* * *

It was the beginning of February. They'd been chuunin for about a week, and Naruto's team had been summoned to the Hokage's office for a private meeting. 

It was a _little _bit frightening.

"Hey…do you guys know anything about this," Naruto asked her team, poking Obito's shoulder and catching Rin's eye. The trek to the Hokage's office seemed to be taking longer than normal, for some reason.

"Of course not," Obito scoffed. "We're just _barely _chuunin!" Was it just her, or did he sound a bit nervous?

"Well _excuse _me," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Anyway…Rin? Do you know anything?"

"Sorry, Naruto…but I don't."

For one agonizingly embarrassing moment, Naruto wished Kakashi was there with them…only because he _knew _what was going on. He'd been through it before.

"And speaking of chuunin…_where _are your _vests," _Rin asked disapprovingly. "You're representing Konoha now! You should act like it!"

Suddenly, Naruto and Obito exchanged guilty glances. Naruto scratched the back of her head nervously. "Um…"

"Forgot it at home," Obito muttered, pointedly _not _meeting Rin's eyes.

"Same here," Naruto added.

In fact, they hadn't_ exactly _forgotten them. They were both in the same place: locked in one of Obito's drawers, the key having been stolen by one of Obito's cousins. They'd chased the kid around the Uchiha district, but they hadn't caught him…and _then _they'd forgotten. It hadn't even registered that Naruto was missing her vest; it wasn't like she _wore _it, anyway.

She was just _supposed _to.

Rin shook her head fondly. "You two…!"

They reached the Hokage's office, and Naruto grabbed her teammates' hands. "You guys ready?"

Obito wormed his hand out of her grasp. "Of course!"

"I'm sure we'll all be fine," Rin added. Naruto let go of her hand.

"Then let's go."

They entered the office, taking in the faces of Hokage-jijii, Minato-sensei and another jounin she didn't know. Minato-sensei raised an eyebrow at the lack of vest on both Naruto's and Obito's parts, but he didn't comment.

"Um…hi," Naruto offered, waving weakly.

It seemed to break the tense atmosphere, because the Hokage chuckled around his pipe. "Welcome, chuunin graduates."

The three stared at him, mystified.

"You're here to be briefed on Konoha's situation," he continued. "Unless we enter into outright war, genin are not to be notified about our troubles with Iwa; but since you are chuunin now, there _is _a_ possibility_ of your being assigned to lead an espionage mission."

He paused, letting that information sink in. Naruto frowned; that hadn't been the case in_ her _time. Perhaps this was a different situation…? "Um…what's the point of keeping stuff like this a secret?"

The Sandaime furrowed his brow a bit. "I'd rather keep our genin _off _the field until absolutely necessary. I also don't want anyone to _panic. _If you hadn't come along, we wouldn't be expecting a full-scale _war; _I need the genin of our village to focus on their _training,_ and not focus on a war we _may _be able to avoid."

Well, then. That was that.

"That said, you should know a few things. As of now, we are in what's known as a 'bipolar superpower confrontation;' while we are not _at war, _per se, we are not at _peace. _Neither Iwa nor Konoha know the outcomes of making a rash move, and I'm sorry to say that we are _both _trying to intimidate the other into submission. For all the information we have gathered, we still don't _quite _know what they're after…and until we do, we cannot make progress.

Since you are chuunin, you are looked to as leaders. You will be expected to lead team missions and you will be expected to carry those missions out with_out_ question. Espionage is dangerous, but necessary, and you will be asked to do things you may not want to do. If you accept your missions, you _must _follow my orders to a _T._

You're not genin any more; you'll be taking missions that can affect the well-being of our _entire _village, on a crucial scale."

Naruto shivered at the intensity of the Hokage's words. She'd heard this speech before, from Tsunade-baachan, but the words were different; the Sandaime's words were _sharp, _and _bitter. _The Godaime's words were blunt and loud. Naruto had never quite enjoyed quiet.

She looked at her teammates, noticing that Obito looked scared out of his wits and Rin looked utterly shocked. She suddenly felt stifled.

"Um, so, jijii, that means we're important, right? And we'll be able to help save Konoha."

There were a few quiet chuckles from the two jounin in the room, and Rin let out the breath she must've been holding. If nothing else, Naruto had always been good at breaking the ice.

"Yes, it _does _mean you can help 'save' Konoha. Every ninja in this village is important. Make sure to do your best, and push yourself to your limits."

She shifted. "I can do that! _We _can do that, right guys?"

She received a hesitant nod from Obito, and a quiet _yes _from Rin.

"So, is there anything else, jijii? I'm hungry."

Finally, the tension cleared. "You may go," said the Sandaime, laughter apparent in his voice.

"Awesome! C'mon, guys," she addressed her teammates, pulling both of them out by their wrists. War was hard to go through; no matter how many wars she'd been in, this was still hard. But she needed to be strong for her team…so she wouldn't worry about that right now. Right now, she'd treat her teammates to lunch.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

One month after their chuunin briefing and getting no espionage missions, Naruto and her team had mellowed out a bit. She'd also remembered a promise they'd all forgotten, and she nearly panicked until she realized they'd never set a time. Uzumaki Naruto never went back on a promise.

But…

Nobody had ever been on a date before. Naruto only had a vague idea of what people _did _on dates, one of them being a customary 'kiss goodnight.' So she told Rin and Obito to use their imaginations, and was 'inspired' to add that they had to kiss goodnight.

"Why?"

The question was, surprisingly, asked by Obito. She sent a look his way that she _hoped_ said, 'Give me a break! You've wanted to kiss her for ages! I'm helping you out here!' She didn't think he _got _that message, because he sent her back a look that _clearly _said, 'Huh?'

"Because that's what you _do _on dates," she explained. "It's…um…a custom. Everyone does it. It's not a date unless you give her a kiss."

He wrinkled his brow. "But…I've never heard of _that _custom. And sensei didn't kiss Kushina-san on _their _first date."

Was he _really _that dense?

"Maybe it's something someone made up during your childhood," he suggested helpfully.

Yes. Yes, he was.

"Your family doesn't do it and Minato-sensei didn't do it because…everybody knows that families are _insane. _Especially _ours." _She added a glare, to get her point across.

"Okay! We'll do it," Rin supplied hesitantly, glancing between Obito and Naruto and probably not really understanding the situation at all.

Or at least, Naruto_ hoped _she didn't.

"Great," Naruto said gleefully. "Now, go off and…um…do your thing. Have fun, kids!"

She stepped behind the screen that separated her futon from the rest of the apartment (she'd gotten it after being woken up by Obito again; for some reason, it had felt weird), and waited until she heard the door close before she came out and stood in her kitchen, staring at nothing and trying to decide what to eat for dinner. Instant ramen, maybe?

A feeling passed over her, and she couldn't figure out what it was. It was very intense, and she clutched her chest, eyes widening.

"…The hell?"

What _was _this?

It was akin to anger, but not quite. She _wasn't _angry, because she didn't have anything to be angry _about. _Sure, she was disappointed that her two best friends couldn't spend the evening with her, but that had happened plenty of times before.

She couldn't quite get Obito's puzzled expression out of her mind, and she realized that it was _jealousy…_but why would she be jealous of _him?_ She didn't like Rin. Rin was like a _sister. _It would be like being jealous of Karin, who spent lots of time with _Sasuke._

Thinking of him brought up another wave of that _feeling, _and she sat down on the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in her knees. She suddenly felt very homesick – or whatever it was called. Timesick. Her friends had died, and she hadn't been able to save Sasuke…but she hadn't ever felt quite at home in this new setting. Even knowing her parents…didn't make it better.

As if she'd been called by Naruto's thoughts, Kushina-neechan burst into her apartment (everyone had a habit of doing that, it seemed) and called, cheerily, "Naruto-neechan! Wanna get ramen?"

She stood up, stretched her eyes to get rid of the tightness that had been threatening to turn into tears, and smiled at the woman. "Um…sure."

The thing about Kushina-neechan was that she could spot things quickly, and she frowned a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…just a little homesick, I guess," Naruto replied without thinking.

"Homesick? I thought you lived with an orbit group."

Naruto rubbed the back of her head, not meeting Kushina-neechan's eyes. Maybe…maybe it was time to tell her. She seemed like the kind of person who would be able to understand.

"Um…that wasn't really the truth. Why don't we stay here and eat, and we can, um, talk?"

Naruto liked the smile she received in reply. "Okay."

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Conversation had been surprisingly easy, for a _date, _and she'd really enjoyed the night. She didn't like him the way she knew Naruto _hoped _she would, but he was a very nice date anyway. They'd talked about everything from where Obito's and Naruto's chuunin vests _really _were to favorite sushi toppings.

"Naruto's pretty strange, isn't she," Rin tossed out, relaxing on her hands after finishing her food. They'd decided to go for yakiniku, a secret favorite of Rin's that Obito had somehow found out about. Or maybe he'd just made a lucky guess.

"Um, yeah," Obito answered, as if it were obvious. And it was, really, when she thought about it. "She's _more _than strange."

"Unconventional," she added, and received an enthusiastic nod from her date in return.

"I know! The first time she asked you to share miso I thought she was completely insane. But…you know. She never really had any experience with friendly people before the wars started, so…she didn't _know_ what that _really_ meant."

Rin couldn't quite keep the giggle from escaping. She _remembered _Obito's face at that time; he'd been completely, utterly bug-eyed and slack-jawed. But suddenly, something that Obito had just said made her frown. "She told you about all that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "All what?"

"Everything that happened before she…uh…came here. The stuff she didn't tell us the first time."

"No, of course not. I figured it out. I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not an idiot. Plus, she's pretty easy to figure out. She thinks she's good at hiding secrets, but once you know how she thinks, she's kind of…obvious."

"That's true."

They were silent for a moment, before Obito grinned. "You wanna go do something else?"

She nodded; the silence had, for some reason, become uncomfortable. "What did you have in mind?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, looking so much like their blonde teammate that she had to stifle another giggle. "I…didn't have anything in mind. I just figured we don't need to spend any more time here."

Rin looked out the window at the sky. "Well…it's nearly dark. I'm not really sure what else there is to do, except train…"

He scowled and muttered, "We can't do _that _on our date."

"Why not," she asked, puzzled.

"Because that's what I'm going to do with _Naruto," _he explained, flapping one hand around. "It would be weird to do the same thing on a date with a different girl."

Rin didn't quite understand his logic, but she was a bit flattered anyway. It was nice to know he didn't resent this date because Naruto pretty much forced it on them. He seemed to be enjoying himself, too.

"Maybe we should just go home," she suggested. "I'm having a great time, but I don't know what else there is to do. My whole life is training right now…and I really _haven't _ever been on a date before."

"Yeah…I guess," he replied, rubbing the back of his head again and avoiding her eyes. "I don't have any ideas either."

They left the restaurant, and Obito walked her home. It was a nice night; very clear, and with a gentle breeze rustling the leaves around them. She turned and smiled at him before she opened her door.

"I had a lot of fun," she told him, her happy smile turning into a smirk. "Tomorrow, I'll tell Naruto a girl can _too _have fun with you on a date. I want to see what she says."

He widened his eyes. "Rin-chan! You…you're…that's…"

"You both have been a bad influence on me," she teased.

They stood in silence, fidgeting a bit. Finally, Rin sighed. "You know…if you're uncomfortable, it's not like you _have _to kiss me, if you don't want to. Naruto's…just a little strange in her ideals."

"Uh…" He turned red and mumbled something she couldn't catch.

"Unless you _don't _mind," she added. "We could avoid getting our heads knocked together."

He avoided her eyes. "Uh…_you _wouldn't mind?"

She shrugged. "It's not like it would _change _anything, right?"

"I…guess not."

He still couldn't look her in the eye. Nevertheless, he drew her close to him and pressed their lips together, drawing away after a few moments and looking very much like a tomato. All in all, it was a very nice kiss; but they were still just friends. Neither of them _liked _the other…or at least, it didn't _seem_ that way. She hoped she wasn't completely wrong about his feelings about her, or she had just complicated everything.

"Uh…goodnight," she said, suddenly unsure of herself. She hoped she hadn't just created a problem…but he _didn't _like her…

"Yeah…night," he agreed, smiling. She was just worried about her first-ever date…there was no way he'd be able to smile easily like that if he _liked _her, right?

She turned and entered her house, a small smile on her face. Tomorrow came the hard part: going on a date with _Naruto._

Her smile turned into an uneasy frown. That...would be awkward!

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto woke up with a smile on her face, feeling peaceful. Kushina-neechan had been very understanding…even more understanding than Minato-sensei, though that might not have been such a hard thing; he was kind of serious.

The woman's advice had been simple, but very helpful; it had put things into perspective for Naruto.

"_I don't believe in things like destiny, or fate, but I _do _think everything happens for a reason. So, you were sent here accidentally; but now, you have a chance to change things. Don't worry so much about what's going to happen a zillion years from now; just focus on what you want to do _today. _You know, it's not your responsibility to change things, just because you know they're coming up. Relax; if you stress so much over all this stuff, you'll never be able to save _anyone. _You're doing us all a favor, you know. Let us help you."_

The sun hadn't yet risen, but Naruto wasn't tired at all; her teammates weren't coming over this morning, so she had about an hour and a half to do whatever she wanted.

Which was, right now, eating breakfast and looking after her weapons. She hadn't done it in over a week, and she knew some of them were damaged. She trained every day, after all.

Naruto decided on dried natto; it wasn't _technically _a breakfast food…but then again, neither was instant ramen. She set it on the corner of her table and spread a large cloth out on her floor, placing all her weapons on it. Weapons care was tedious but necessary, and not at all something she _enjoyed, _but she enjoyed having faulty weapons even less.

The monotonous task soon became second nature to her eyes and hands, and she was left with her thoughts. She still didn't know why she'd been so jealous last night; Kushina-neechan had jokingly suggested she was jealous of _Rin, _but that idea was shot down right away. Just…no.

Besides, he liked Rin, and she really wanted them to be happy. She hadn't ever had a chance with Sakura-chan…and Shikamaru had died before she had a chance to tell him how she felt. A sad feeling came up with the memory of Shikamaru, but it wasn't as hard to deal with as it used to be; she had a _purpose _in this life. It made her feel better.

By the time she was finished with her weapons, the sun was shining brightly through her window and it was nearly time to report to the Hokage. She sort of hoped a more interesting mission came their way…but at the same time, she was worried. They'd been training hard…but was it enough? Could they prevent her teammate – and good friend – from dying again?

She packed her pouch, changed out of her pajamas, and slipped her shoes on before she headed out the door. She locked the door behind her, an unnecessary precaution; if someone wanted to steal from her, a locked door wouldn't stop them. It was an old habit, from before she'd graduated from the academy.

She met Rin at the entrance to the Hokage tower and sat down on a step, resting her elbows on her thighs and leaning forward a bit. "Morning, Rin."

"Good morning, Naruto," Rin replied from her position against the wall. She was watching the street.

"Watching for Obito?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," she answered distractedly.

"So…you had fun last night?"

"Yeah…I had a great time. For a first date, it was nice."

Naruto cupped her chin in her palm, watching the street with Rin. He'd be late today; she had no idea _what _he got up to when they didn't collect him early, but she supposed it didn't matter. At least he wasn't_ hours _late _every time, _like Kakashi-sensei had been. The memory of her sensei brought up a slightly sad smile, but it _was_ a smile. Maybe she just needed to learn to let go.

"He'll probably be here in about fifteen minutes," Naruto supplied helpfully.

"I know."

Naruto cast around for a topic they could discuss; for some reason, the silence between them was thick and heavy. Finally, she shrugged and asked, "So…are you _really _going to come on a date with me tonight?"

Rin turned and looked at her, surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno. I just thought that since you had such a good time last night, you wouldn't want to go with _me."_

Rin gave her a weird look. "I promised, didn't I?"

Well, she _did _have a good point. "Yeah, you did."

Rin turned back to the street, and silence fell between them again. But this time, it seemed heavier…if that was even _possible. _Naruto felt stifled.

"So…um, what did you do last night," Rin asked. "You know…while we were out."

"I ate dinner with Kushina-neechan, and we talked about what…_really _happened. How I got here and stuff. What did you two do?"

"We went for yakiniku, and we talked about…well, everything that came into our heads."

The silence fell once again. Naruto fidgeted. Finally, she stood, and started stretching; she didn't normally enjoy silence, and this was even harder to tolerate. Something just felt _wrong, _and she didn't know _why. _Maybe Rin was hiding something about last night? Yeah, that had to be it. Naruto was curious, but she had enough tact to know it wasn't her business, and Rin would tell her on her own time…if she told her at all.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when Obito rounded the corner, looking decidedly out of breath. She shook her head fondly; some things, apparently, would never change.

"You're late," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, avoiding both Naruto's and Rin's gazes. "Let's just go in."

What was _up _with those two, anyway?

The three walked in silence to the Hokage's office, and no one bothered to talk even as they entered. The Sandaime looked stern, and Kakashi was already there.

"You three are late," Kakashi said accusingly. Naruto rolled her eyes.

"No, _you_ were _early._ We're supposed to be here in two minutes, but we're already here."

"You four will carry out a joint mission, ranked C," the Hokage began without preamble. "It may be raised to a B class mission, if things get messy. Move in pairs; no one must go anywhere alone.

Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito…you will be partners if the four of you must separate for a long period of time. Yamada Rin and Uzumaki Naruto, you will work together as a unit. You will all regroup once every two hours, if you leave each other, and you will _all _cooperate with your team leader.

Yamada Rin, you are to lead your team to Tara; it is a small village near the northwest border of Fire Country, where they are preparing for _shirogitsune odori. _We've been asked to monitor the comings and goings of the village; there have been seven mysterious disappearances –_children –, _and they seem to vanish into thin air. Even the local tracking dogs, can't find their trail.

As we are the closest ninja village, they have asked for our assistance, and I am sending you four for a _specific _reason: your team is well-balanced. You have a taijutsu specialist, a ninjutsu specialist, a medic, and a backup powerhouse; two of you are more than proficient in genjutsu. I am not certain this is _just _a case of kidnapping."

Naruto shifted a bit. From what she understood, shirogitsune odori was a tradition in Tara to worship ancestors; however, foxes still…made her teeth itch. Only a little...and she would have to get over it, for this mission.

"When you find this mysterious kidnapper, team two – Yamada Rin, and Uzumaki Naruto – will follow, leaving team one – Hatake Kakashi, and Uchiha Obito – to guard the village. While team two is away, team one will be led by Hatake Kakashi.

You will report back to Konoha within three days. During the mission, you are required to blend in; you may not wear your forehead protectors, and you may not carry your weapons pouches. With the exception of Uchiha Obito, you may all wear your regular clothing, but you must trade your sandals for civilian shoes. Uchiha Obito, for the duration of this mission, you may not wear your family crest.

There is an inn at Tara, which you may stay in. The four of you must stay together during the night, in order to communicate quickly should something happen. Are there any questions?"

The four of them shook their heads.

"Then you accept this mission?"

He received four nods.

"Report to the gates in one hour; you are to arrive at Tara by noon. Once you are there, report to Matsuo Fumisuke, the man who hired you." He smiled. "On a lighter note, try to relax while you are there. Never drop your guard, but you can't blend in if you are too tense."

Rin and Obito looked as confused as Naruto felt, and Kakashi…didn't really react. What a brick.

"Act like you belong there," he clarified. "You are not ninja; you are _observers. _Visitors."

Naruto understood. Rin flushed; so did Obito. Naruto wondered what was up with them. Kakashi frowned, but he didn't say anything.

"You are dismissed," the Sandaime said, and waved his hand in a shooing motion. Naruto met Rin's eyes, and they nodded to each other. This…was going to be strange. She hadn't ever gotten a mission like _this._

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

_March 31_

The journey to Tara had been incredibly uneventful. The four had traveled in relative silence; their eyes and ears had been on alert. They had seen and heard nothing, other than local animals.

They arrived at the residence of Matsuo Fumisuke, who greeted them with a tight smile. "May I help you?"

"We are travelers, looking for a place to stay," Rin began. "We are four, and our village leader has spoken highly of both you and your village. We would like to stay for three days; is there a place we might find lodging?"

The man nodded once, taking in their appearances with sharp eyes. Despite their changes, Rin knew they looked like ninja. But only to those who were expecting them. "There is an inn farther into our village," he replied. "May I ask what brings you to Tara?"

"Shirogitsune odori. We have heard of it, but we do not know what it is. We would like to observe, if you don't mind."

"Welcome to Tara."

"Thank you."

They made their ways to the inn, a smallish building with rooms more spacious than Rin had expected. They stored their things and Rin sat down, making a face. "That was awkward."

"What was," Naruto asked curiously.

"Talking to that man. I couldn't just _say _that information, and it was hard to find words to convey our purpose without using regular code."

"Well, why didn't you just ask to talk to him privately, and _then _tell him about our mis-"

Rin cut Naruto off before she could finish her sentence. "The walls have ears."

Naruto's eyes widened. "I…see."

Obito was being rather quiet; Kakashi-kun's silence was expected, but Obito hadn't said two words since they'd arrived. She frowned. "What's the matter, Obito?"

"It's nothing," he muttered, looking at the ground.

"Well, it's_ something, _and we can't work together if you're this withdrawn," she admonished. "For this mission, we can't hold any secrets from each other."

Naruto looked from Rin to Obito and back again, before she shook her head. "C'mon, Obito. Let's go see if there's a ramen stand," she said cheerily. "We'll have to see if it's as good as Ichiraku."

He looked at Naruto, pausing for a moment, before nodding. "Okay."

He stood and headed for the door. Naruto leaned over and whispered, "We'll talk. Okay, Rin?"

Rin nodded, and Naruto stood as well. "Let's go, I'm hungry."

They left the room, and Rin glanced at Kakashi-kun. "What are _we _going to do?"

"Blend in," he replied tonelessly, and Rin could tell he wasn't looking forward to it.

What a brick.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

They _did _have a ramen stand, after all.

"What's up," Naruto asked after they'd placed their orders.

Obito scowled. "Why do _you _want to know?"

"Because you're my_ friend," _she shot back. "Because I _care. _Don't be such a blockhead!"

He didn't answer for a moment. He didn't really know what to say; he didn't even know why he was in such a foul mood. Finally, he sighed and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I don't _know, _really. I'm frustrated, but I don't know _why."_

She frowned thoughtfully at him, poking her bottom lip out like she always did when she was thinking hard. "Well…did you wake _up _in a bad mood?"

"Duh," he replied.

"Jeez, don't jump down my throat. It was just a question. Um, were you upset last_ night?"_

He thought about that. He hadn't been _upset, _exactly, but when he'd kissed Rin-chan, it had been obvious she didn't feel the same about it as he did. But that hadn't really been the trigger; he'd been agitated ever since they left the restaurant. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't _know. _I just _told _you that."

"Well, what did you guys talk about that made you so upset?"

"Well…the last thing we talked about was _you. _But…you're my friend, so it's not like I hate talking about you. I guess…maybe I was disappointed because Rin-chan wanted to just go home, even though we were both having a good time. And then, we did what you said to do, but Rin-chan didn't…really seem like she…"

"Oh," Naruto said softly. "I see."

A silence fell between them, during which their ramen was served. After a moment, Naruto glanced at him and asked, "Did you tell her how you _feel?"_

"No," he cried. He lowered his voice when he noticed people giving him weird looks. "I didn't want to…y'know…scare her off."

Naruto laughed, but it wasn't unkind. "She probably doesn't know you _like _her then. She probably just thought you were going as friends. I mean…I guess I'm not a great example, because I've never had anyone who had a crush on me, but if you don't _say _anything, nobody will _get _it. Rin's smart, but she's not perfect."

"Wait…no one ever liked you? Why? That's stupid." He hadn't really meant to say that; it had popped out before he realized it. That happened a lot.

She gave him a funny look and shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I was the most _popular _person, for obvious reasons, but…I guess I just annoyed people. I mean…there was even this one girl, Hinata, who wouldn't even _look _at me. Every time I talked to her, she refused to look me in the eye, and she got all nervous.

I think it's probably because her family didn't really like me that much, and…most of the adults told their kids to stay away from me when we were little. Actually, now that I think about it, Tenten did the same thing after a while. It was kinda weird, and I kinda felt bad, but I got over it. I had friends."

He looked at her incredulously. Was she _really _that thick? "Uh…that doesn't sound like hate to _me."_

"Well, you didn't _see _it. I mean…Hinata was _weird, _seriously. I made her really uncomfortable, I think. She couldn't even say two sentences around me."

…Wow. Apparently, she had strange ideas.

"Um, she _liked_ you. How could you not _notice _that?"

"I don't think you get it," she replied, a puzzled look on her face. "If she liked me, she would've asked me out."

"She was _shy."_

"…Oh." Naruto swirled her ramen around, before slurping it up. Obito watched her, torn between being grossed out and laughing at her display. She was_ seriously _not a girl. And she had no table manners. His clan would throw a _fit _if she ever ate with them.

He turned his attention to his own ramen, and they finished relatively quickly. He realized that he felt better, and they hadn't even gone father than brushing the surface of the topic. She certainly knew how to cheer a person up.

"Hey," she said suddenly, looking up at him. "I have an idea!"

"Hmm?"

"Wait a second; I have to pay." She paid for her ramen, and his too…even though he had planned to pay for his own. She grinned at him. "Why don't we make this our date? We can look around town, and…you know. See what the village and the people are like. We can get everything done at once."

It _was _a good idea. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Well…I thought we could just poke around everywhere. And maybe find a high place to watch the sunset. Rin could come, and it'll be like we're back home."

He smiled. "Sounds great. Let's go then."

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Mt. Tara wasn't actually a _mountain; _it was more like a very tall hill. It didn't take long at all to get to the top.

Naruto was a bit disappointed; when they'd asked Rin and Kakashi to come up with them, Kakashi had declined. Naruto had offered to stay behind, so Rin could go up with Obito, but she had refused, and confided to Naruto and Obito that Kakashi had been anxious all day. _"He thinks you're annoying – don't look at me like that, you know it's true – and I don't want to cause any problems in the village."_

It was true, but it still stung a bit. Not because Rin had _said _it…but because it _was _true.

Naruto was sitting against a rock, knees to her chest. The setting sun was painting colors on the clouds stretched across the horizon; it was a pretty sight, one that made her chest ache just a little. Shikamaru loved watching the clouds.

"Who's _he,"_Obito asked curiously. She frowned; she must've said that out loud.

"He's…someone I knew…before I came here. He's…um, he died…and, um, I…I loved him. I never got a chance to tell him." The ache got a little bigger, and she widened her eyes at the sudden tightness.

"…Oh."

He seemed to understand that she didn't need him to say anything more. It was nice to have someone whose thought process was similar to her own at times like this…but at other times, when she was trying to hold a secret or surprise her team, it was frustrating.

The deep reds and oranges turned into purple, and finally, a bluish-black color that stayed for only a moment before turning into _night. _That moment of twilight was always the best part of the sunset.

"Beautiful, isn't it," she whispered.

"Mm," Obito agreed. "Very."

"We should get back to the inn, before Kakashi throws a fit," Naruto sighed. "Even if we get there five minutes early, he'll lecture us. I don't really wanna go through that tonight. I've had a really good time."

"Me too, actually."

She didn't really want to move from her spot, but she knew she had to. She stood, stretching, and offered Obito a hand, which he ignored. "I can get up myself," he grumbled. "And anyway, _I'm_ supposed to help _you _up. We're on a date, after all."

"Oh yeah…we are, aren't we? I completely forgot," Naruto replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess it's because I…uh…"

Even in the darkness, Naruto could see his smug expression. "You…uh…what, hmm?"

She sighed, sagging a bit. "I had a really good time. You _win. _Jeez."

"Told you," he crowed.

It was her turn to grumble, "Don't be so cocky. I'm still the better man."

"Right," he put in sarcastically. "Because you're so masculine." He paused for a moment. "Actually, you _are. _Maybe I _do _have some competition, after all."

"Hey," she squawked. "That's…guh! Horrible of you to say! And what about Kakashi?"

"He's a brick," Obito replied. "So he doesn't count. And I'm just telling the _truth. _Make up your mind; are you a guy or a girl?"

She rolled her eyes and grabbed his sleeve. "C'mon," she said, pulling him toward the trail to the base of the 'mountain.' "I'm _not _going to argue about this."

They trekked downward for a while. Finally, Naruto blurted, "That was just an_ expression. _I'm a ni-uh, I have your same job; my gender shouldn't matter!"

"Oh yeah," he asked teasingly.

"Yeah! Besides, I like who I am, and I don't care what _you _think. And you already _know _I'm a girl." They had reached the base, and Naruto let go of his sleeve. She started down the trail that led into the village.

"Then _prove _it."

She halted. "Uh…what?"

"Well," he explained in a mocking tone, "you're always acting like a guy. You refer to yourself as the better _man. _You're totally _flat, _and you favor taij…uh…physical…labor. Are you_ sure _you're a girl?"

"Of _course _I'm sure," she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "It doesn't_ matter, _anyway!"

"Yeah, well I'm not convinced." Then, he _walked away._

She glowered at his back for a moment. She _was _a girl, obviously! He was being stupid on purpose, and baiting her!

She ran up to him and caught his shoulder, spinning him to face her, and glared up at him. She cursed her shortness; even though he wasn't _very _tall, she only came up to his nose.

"Now, listen here," she spoke, deathly quiet. He looked nervous all of a sudden, which was really what she'd been going for. "Even though it doesn't matter, I _am _a girl. And…I'll _prove _it to you!"

He stood there, unimpressed. "How?"

She cast her mind around, searching for…well, other than taking off her clothes – which she would _not _do in front of him, thank you very much –, she didn't really know _how _she could 'prove it.'

"Uh…"

She tugged on a piece of his hair, bringing him down to eye level, smirking evilly. "Like this."

It was _supposed _to be a joke. She was _supposed _to win this round; because it _was_ only part of their little game. They were _always _competing, whether they were sparring physically or verbally. It was nothing like her friendship with Sasuke, though…with Obito, it was always all in good fun.

But as soon as their lips touched, Naruto felt…_something _run through her, racing down her spine and into her stomach. Her eyes widened and she pulled away, putting distance between them. That…_wasn't _part of the plan!

Obviously, whatever that was hadn't affected Obito because he clicked his tongue and sighed. "You even _kiss _like a guy."

Okay…weirdness be damned, this was _war._

She pulled him close again, licking his lips before pushing them together again. She'd never _truly _kissed anyone, so she didn't really know how to_ do _it; for a moment, she felt utterly ridiculous, on top of that weirdness. But when he pulled her closer and responded, her brain pretty much shut down and she didn't feel ridiculous any more.

For a moment, she felt one of his hands run through her hair. Then, as if they'd come to a decision at the same time, they both pulled away. She glanced at him; he looked confused, like he had no idea what had just happened. Truthfully, she didn't either.

"Um…I believe you," he finally said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Uh…good," she replied, thoroughly regretting ever kissing him in the first place. "So…uh…this never happened. Right?"

He looked very relieved. "Right. We never speak of this again."

She sighed, feeling as relieved as he looked. "Agreed."

As predicted, they were one minute early, and they had to endure a lecture from Kakashi_ anyway._

He really _was _a brick, but at least his lecture kept her mind off of that weird kiss.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

_April 1_

The white fox masks made Naruto uncomfortable, Kakashi could tell. He wasn't sure _why_ they did; she wasn't the type of person who scared easily, and she kept a cheery smile on her face. But her posture gave it away, even to a person who couldn't read her emotions; clearly, she'd had some sort of bad experience.

It wasn't that he _cared, _exactly, because she was annoying and only a teammate. But he was highly receptive to the emotions of others; it made him a better ninja. It was distracting. And she shouldn't have let anything get in the way of their mission.

"What is _wrong_ with you," he hissed in her ear. Rin and Obito tensed slightly and shared a nervous glance; whatever it was, they knew. He would've felt insulted for being left out of the loop, if he let those kinds of trivialities pop up. Fortunately, he didn't let them.

"Nothing," she replied testily. "What's wrong with _you?"_

"Your anxiousness is distracting," he explained. "You are jeopardizing the mission."

"Shut up," she growled, and Kakashi felt his breath catch. Her demeanor had changed completely, and she all of a sudden seemed almost _dangerous._ "You have _no idea _what you're talking about. I'm _not_ putting us in any danger; don't blame _my _discomfort if_ you're _nervous. I'm not fond of…" She lowered her voice to a level even _he _had trouble hearing. "…Foxes, but that doesn't matter. Just do your _job, _since you're_ obviously _the best one here. I'm not doing _anything;_ don't bring _me_ into _your _crap."

He didn't know what to day; but he didn't need to say anything, because she walked ahead, that same cheery smile on her face. She was pretty good at pretending, actually.

"C'mon, Obito," Rin muttered. Louder, she said, "C'mon, Kakashi-kun."

He walked with them and caught up with Naruto, who had stopped to talk to a child with tears running down his face.

"Hey, don't cry! Just tell me what he looks like and I'll help you find him, okay?"

"H-he looks exactly like me," the boy said, sniffling a bit. "We're twins. But he went over there to find Aneka-chan, and then that _guy _came and took him! He jumped up really high, and…Mom's gonna be so worried!"

Naruto glanced at Rin, asking for help. Rin nodded and squatted down next to the little boy. "What did this man look like?"

"Well…he was _really_ tall, and he had dark hair, like your friend, only his was more black. He had on weird black shoes that were like sandals, and he was wearing black. He also had black eyes, and…oh, he had a weird tattoo on his arm."

"Um…what did it look like," Rin asked quietly. That almost sounded like an off-duty ANBU…but that that was impossible. No one had defected in eight years.

"It was black, and it was the kanji for sixty I think. I don't think I was supposed to see it, but his sleeve went up a little. It was like nobody else saw him, even though he was _right there. _Please get my brother back!"

Naruto patted him on the head. "Don't worry! We'll find him, okay? Go and tell your parents what happened, and you'll probably feel better."

"O-okay," he answered, sniffing again. "You're good people."

He ran off before anyone could reply. Rin stood, and Naruto straightened. Rin's eyes were narrowed. "Back to the inn, right now."

"Hey," Naruto protested. "We have to find-"

"Without supplies?"

Kakashi had never seen Rin _furious _before, and he knew that whoever had done this would end up being very sorry indeed. Naruto looked taken aback. Kakashi glanced at Obito, who looked torn between awe and terror. Of_ what, _Kakashi didn't know, and he didn't really care, either.

The three seemed to communicate with their eyes, before they all set off toward the inn at the same time. He followed silently. For a moment, Kakashi felt envious of their closeness, their ability to communicate without even speaking, but he squashed it. Things like that were exactly what Kakashi didn't _allow _in his life; missions aside, bonds…_hurt_ people. He'd seen enough to know _that. _And being hurt was distracting.

They reached the inn fairly quickly, and after sliding the door closed, Rin spun around to face them, eyes flashing. "Definitely a ninja," she began. "Someone good with genjutsu; someone who knows how to cover up their scent. The subject must not have been expecting ninja to come; we know how to track other ways. Possibly a man, but it could have been a disguised female. We don't know how careful the person was. Does anyone have anything to add?"

Rin's analytical skills were pretty good, he had to admit. But she had overlooked a few things.

"Yesterday, I heard some civilians speaking about the missing children; they are all between the ages of five and nine. The child you talked to could _see_a man, when it seemed that no one else could; that would indicate a natural immunity to genjutsu, or perhaps shoddy chakra canals which haven't been checked and can't _circulate _chakra. The child is a civilian, so that makes sense.

The boy's twin is identical, which might indicate a similar condition; there are now eight missing, and there are always three in a genin team. It is my supposition that all the children have potential, and the subject – and most likely some accomplices – wants to train them once they find a ninth child."

Naruto let out an appreciative whistle. "Pretty sharp," she praised. "I didn't get any of that. But why would somebody kidnap kids from a non-ninja village just to train them?"

"You didn't see any of that because you are an idiot," he explained. He really didn't know why she was a chuunin; she was, admittedly, powerful, but she didn't _think. _"The kidnapper must have a reason. We will know when we find the children."

She snorted. "Like I've never been called _that _before. Anyway, don't you think it would be helpful to know _before _we find them, so we know what we're up against or something? What if there's more to it than this?"

"Both of you stop arguing right now," Rin snapped. Naruto looked down, rubbing the back of her head.

"Now…we're going to need to plan. Obviously, Naruto and I are to move ahead. However, I'm not sure we can do this alone, since we _don't_ know what we're up against. Fortunately, I stopped by the Hokage tower and picked up radio collars before we left, so we have a way to communicate. Take your weapons pouches and your forehead protectors. Change your shoes, and make sure you can fight in your clothing. Are there any questions?"

Nobody said a word.

"Good. Everyone get ready; we're leaving in five minutes."

It was strange to see Rin like this, all business. He could see why _she _was a chuunin. After they were ready, Rin tossed each of them a radio collar. "Don't turn those off."

Kakashi was left with Obito at the edge of the village. Obito was muttering darkly under his breath; something about _Rin-chan _and _angry._

Kakashi didn't know how _Obito _became a chuunin, either, but he switched off the part of his brain in which he stored his trivial thoughts as soon as the kunoichi left. It was time to focus on the mission; everything else had to be pushed to the side.

He was good at that.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"Rin, c'mere," Naruto whispered, gesturing with one hand. "Look at this."

Rin looked at the tree and frowned thoughtfully. "It looks like someone used this for target practice."

"Exactly. But why would they do that so close to the village? I thought the target didn't want to be _found."_

"I…have no idea," Rin confessed.

Naruto frowned; this whole thing felt off for some reason. She felt intense frustration well up inside of her, and for a moment she thanked her lucky stars that Minato-sensei had sealed most of the demon chakra left inside of her. She didn't want to go berserk ever again.

She discreetly left a mark on the trunk of the tree; it was a trail to follow, in case the rest of her team had to follow. She'd found that cutting a tree with her wind chakra did more than cut; it left a residue of her chakra, which would be an easy mark to find.

Kakashi would figure it out, she was sure.

"Well…we should keep going, at any rate. Maybe it wasn't target practice at all. Maybe there was a minor fight or something."

"We can't rule out the possibility that this is a trap," Rin reminded. Nevertheless, she began to follow the trail left by the ninja again. "Be on your guard."

Naruto didn't have to be told _that. _She'd been through enough to know to trust her gut…and her gut was telling her that this wasn't just a kidnapping. The shorter hairs on the back of her neck prickled.

Rin held up an arm to stop Naruto, pointing to Naruto, putting her hands in the ram seal, and ruffling her own hair. It took a minute, but Naruto finally got it; after performing henge, she looked like a dark-haired, dark-eyed boy. Rin raised an eyebrow at her choice of disguise but didn't comment.

Which was good; Naruto didn't really know, either.

After five more minutes of silence, Rin stopped her once again and pointed to a tree. Naruto looked at it, bewildered. _What about it, _she mouthed.

Rin frowned, before her eyes widened and she mouthed, _genjutsu._

Naruto sighed silently; she sucked at genjutsu. She raised her shoulders in an _I-don't-know_ gesture. Rin's face took on a look of understanding and she bit her lip, before frowning and bringing Naruto out of the genjutsu.

Which, of course, alerted their target to their presences, and everything went to hell.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

The target turned out to be a sturdy-looking man of perhaps thirty, who fit the village boy's description exactly. Something the child had missed, or had perhaps failed to mention, was the forehead protector proudly displaying the man's village affiliation.

Rin wasn't sure it was any better to be facing a _missing-_nin; he was still from Iwa. She had a gut feeling they weren't qualified for this mission at all.

Naruto had caught sight of the children, who were at present restrained, and she let out a growling noise; Rin made a mental note to make sure Naruto didn't get out of control again. She wished the boys were here; she knew the two of them, while great kunoichi, might not cut it.

"Where are your comrades," the ninja asked, almost lazily. Rin shot a look toward Naruto, who didn't look like she was paying attention at all. That might've been a blessing.

"What comrades? We're alone," Rin replied.

The man laughed. "Liar. There were two boys with you, and one of them was Uchiha. Your friend over there is actually a blonde _girl; _Namikaze, by the look of her. How exciting."

Naruto glanced sharply at him, before forming the ram seal and dispelling her henge. It _was_ pointless, anyway. "What a coward _you _are," she spat._"And _you kidnapped little kids. You're a sick _bastard._ Why do you care about family names, anyway?"

Rin refrained from sighing. Naruto hadn't done anything but aggravate the problem…unless…she widened her eyes. _Please don't do what I think you're going to do, Naruto…_

The ninja didn't respond directly; instead, he disappeared, reappearing behind the six children and putting kunai to two of the kids' necks. "Call your comrades here, or I'll kill all of them."

Without waiting for an order, Naruto growled into her radio, "You two had better come here now or I'll kick your asses so hard you won't be able to sit for a week. Four-point-eight kilometers to the northwest. Follow the trail I left."

She'd left a trail? When?

"If you kill any of those kids," Naruto warned, deadly serious, "I _promise _I'll make you suffer."

The man only shrugged, unaware of the danger he'd put himself in; Uzumaki Naruto never broke her promises. Rin shivered involuntarily.

At this point in time, all they could do was wait; the target still held his kunai to the two's throats. Naruto's palms dripped blood.

"Calm down, Naruto," Rin advised. "This is a delicate situation."

"I _am _calm," Naruto spat, which alerted Rin to Naruto's currently unstable state of mind. This wasn't the playful, slightly hyper Naruto she'd known for months; this was the paroxysmal Naruto, the last face her enemies saw before they died during the war during Naruto's time. Rin couldn't help being a little frightened; had Minato-sensei put that seal on her yet? She glanced at Naruto's face, and sighed in relief; her eyes were still blue.

The boys arrived fairly quickly. Naruto made a noise that sounded like a cross between a hiss and a growl, to which Obito replied, "Calm down, Naruto!"

"Shut up," she replied, narrowing her eyes. Even _Kakashi-kun_ looked surprised for a moment.

"There are _children_ here," he elaborated, obviously trying not to show how much she unnerved him.

She tightened her fists, making the blood drip faster, but she didn't say anything more. The man, who didn't remove the kunai, smirked a bit. "Now that I have you all here…"

The man's ensuing action was a _Very Bad Idea. _He slashed the two children's skin in a possibly lethal way and appeared in front of Naruto, grabbing her arm and chuckling. "Make your choice, medic. These children, or your teammate. I'm excited to see what's important to you."

"Rin," Naruto said, calm as death and twice as frightening, "hurry up and get the kids out of here."

"Naruto," Kakashi-kun said warningly. She looked up at them, irises red and pupils slits.

"Please, just do it, because I don't know how long I can stay calm."

"Shit," Obito cursed. "Rin-chan…"

"I know. I was hoping this wouldn't happen." She faced the children. "But right now, they're in danger, and…well, you heard her." She lowered her voice, so much that even Kakashi-kun and Obito had to lean in to hear her. "We're not going far. I want you two to stay with Naruto. I'll heal those two, and stay with the rest of them; I need to be able to get them away quickly if this gets as big as…before."

"Rin, she's not-"

"Shut up, Kakashi-kun, and stay out of sight. That's an _order," _she replied with narrowed eyes, cutting him off. "You don't know the whole situation and we don't have time to explain it to you. Both of you stay halfway between me and Naruto."

"Understood," Obito agreed. Kakashi-kun nodded, looking confused, but he didn't say anything else.

The whole conversation had taken less than a minute, and Rin faced the missing-nin. "I'm taking those children. Don't try to stop me."

He waved a lazy hand toward them. "Take them and heal them, then, if they are your _priority."_

Rin collected the two injured children first, and healed their gashes; she instructed Kakashi-kun to cover the skin, to make sure the wounds didn't open again. But when she went back for the others, he grabbed her arm. "I didn't say you could have _those _children."

Rin felt the change in Naruto's chakra and cursed inwardly. Her teammate's lip was bleeding profusely; Naruto must have bitten it in an effort to stay calm. She was about to reply, when Naruto spoke in a gravelly voice.

"You're interested in family names, right?"

Damn it. Rin had hoped this wouldn't happen.

The girl looked up and showed her face to their opponent for the first time. "Then I'll make a deal with you. You obviously need a Namikaze for something. You've made a guess that I'm part of that family. Give those kids to my teammates…and replace them with me in that spot over there."

The man looked like he was weighing his options. Rin edged slowly toward the children, but he caught her arm and frowned. "Why should I trust you?"

"I give you my _word, _I will stand in their spot," she replied. "And I never, _ever_ break a promise."

He laughed; it was a cold sound Rin didn't like at all. "You have my attention, Namikaze! Very well, then!"

Naruto turned to Rin. "Get them out of here."

Though Rin was in charge of their team, she didn't hesitate. She'd read into Naruto's words.

_I give you my word; I will stand in their spot._

Naruto hadn't said_ anything _about leaving with him.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Other than bringing Sasuke back to Sakura-chan, this was the closest Naruto had come to breaking her word.

She didn't like it.

Nevertheless, she had to make sacrifices; and in this case, she didn't want those children to be in any more danger. She remembered _all _too well how several Konoha children had been stolen during the war; and how fourteen-year-olds Konohamaru and Udon had died to let Moegi rescue them. A misleading promise was the best she could do in this situation.

She was nearly shaking by the time Rin left the area with the kids. Naruto knew that Kakashi and Obito were close by, and somewhere in the haze that clouded her mind, she had to admire Rin's on-the-fly decision.

She met the ninja's eyes again.

"You tried to trap the _wrong _team," she growled. Her voice was gravelly and harsh, and her nails had grown and cut into her palms as she'd been waiting. She _didn't _want to lose herself, but…this was more personal than _he _knew.

"I think I hit the jackpot, actually," he replied. What's going to stop me from taking _them, _when I'm done with you?"

"Me."

And then she charged.

Even though a curtain of red had been hung in front of her face, she didn't completely lose her rationality; she knew what she was doing, at least, though she was having a very hard time keeping herself from tearing him apart. She remembered Tsunade-baachan's lectures: _Get information from the person before you knock them out, Naruto!_

He looked a bit surprised as they exchanged blows, though she wasn't sure what he was surprised about. Maybe it was because she was a kunoichi, so he didn't expect her to be able to hold her own using only taijutsu.

He punched her in the stomach, making her double over, before jumped back, flipping through seals she couldn't catch because of the speed. Luckily, Naruto recognized the end, and she jumped onto a tree trunk as he slammed his hands on the ground, shoving the earth up in spikes. The tattoo she glimpsed probably marked him as ex-Anbu from Iwa.

She felt her control slipping. Uchiha Itachi had defected from Konoha Anbu…

Everything was reminding her of her old life. This was the first big mission she'd gotten since arriving, and…the reminders _just didn't stop._

Red chakra started seeping out. The seal took care of most of it…but apparently, strong emotions could pull it out…just like before.

"I'm going to _**kill you," **_she growled, forming a familiar seal. She hadn't wanted to use this except as a last resort, but…

Screw it.

"Kage-bunshin no jutsu!"

The area filled up with her copies, each intent on causing the guy pain. As one, they swarmed him. She and her bunshin used powerful punches and kicks, occasionally landing a hit. The guy was good. Occasionally, a wave of red burned the copies, causing them to pop out of existence, but she didn't care. As she landed a solid hit on his chest, causing him to fly back and cough up blood, three of her bunshin grabbed him and held him fast so he couldn't get away.

She threw two of her bunshin at him; they each threw a good number of shuriken, making him ooze blood. Meanwhile, Naruto and another bunshin prepared an Oodama Rasengan. She didn't _want _to wait for information; she wanted him to die.

His eyes widened when he saw the Rasengan, and when it hit, Naruto couldn't see anything; the dust from the ground clouded her senses. When it cleared, she cursed, and felt the red overwhelm her.

The bastard had gotten away, even with all those injuries!

She growled, and made to follow the smell of his blood, but suddenly, two people were restraining her. _"Let me __**go! **__I have to __**follow **__him! I have to __**kill him!" **_

She shook off the two people – were they friends, or enemies? She couldn't tell. Or at least, she _tried _to…but one of them slapped a seal on her.

Definitely friends, then, her clearing mind supplied, before she dropped into unconsciousness. Her last thoughts praised Minato-sensei, for being so gifted with seals. The reinforced chakra-suppressing seal – to be used in an emergency situation, in case she _did _lose control – had done its job.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

_April 2_

"We _have _to explain it _somehow," _Obito whispered, gesturing to Kakashi. "He already didn't trust her, and now he probably thinks she's a…spy, or something. She pretty much _admitted _that she's related to Minato-sensei…but anyone could say that, if they had a good enough disguise!"

Rin-chan bit her lip, seeming to think over their options. Finally, she whispered, "Naruto didn't give us permission to tell anyone anything."

"I _know," _he agreed quietly. "We don't have to tell him…_that…_but we can't just let him think she's some kind of bad guy!"

"She can decide what to tell him when she wakes up," she decided. "It's not really our place."

"…I know. She's just…"

"Our friend. I know. We both care about her, but there's nothing we can do right now that would help her in any way."

He sighed and rubbed his forehead, wincing at the pain. Naruto hadn't been kidding when she'd said that red chakra was toxic; it had burned his hands and forearms as soon as he'd touched her. Kakashi was in the same situation; luckily, they had Rin-chan, but even she didn't know how to treat this kind of burn.

His head was pounding.

"You should sleep, Obito," Rin-chan sighed. "You've been up since yesterday morning. Your headache can't get better if the cause is lack of sleep."

She was right, of course – Rin-chan was always right – but he was too worked up to sleep. His friend (best friend, if he really thought about it) was just…lying there, unconscious, and had been for longer than Rin-chan had predicted. That meant there was something _wrong._

"But…Naruto is…"

"Don't make me do it _for_ you."

That threat – no,_ promise – _decided his course of action. He lay on his side, curling his arm under his head, and shut his eyes. "Wake me up when she comes to, will you, Rin-chan?"

He must've been more tired than he'd thought; he didn't get to hear her response.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto couldn't meet anyone's eyes; not even the eyes of people she didn't know.

She felt Rin's eyes on her, constantly, but she just _couldn't. _Not only had the guy _gotten away – _which meant he could take the kids again –, but she'd lost control. _Again! _And this time, another_seal _was there. She didn't understand it; why was the chakra so easily accessed? She certainly didn't _want _it. The only _useful_ thing was the _healing _factor.

And she'd hurt her friends. Kakashi may have been a brick, but she still considered him a friend…a very, very distant one, but a friend all the same. After reporting the results of the mission to the Sandaime, Naruto had tried to escape to her own apartment, but Rin hadn't let her get away. They were heading to Naruto's _second _favorite spot – the clearing she'd officially become a ninja. Sometimes she imagined she could hear Iruka-sensei's voice again, accepting her into Konoha's ranks. How had Rin known about this place?

Naruto sat down under _that _tree – it was young now, and smaller than she remembered. But it was still _that _tree; the tree Iruka-sensei had leaned against, watching her beat up Mizuki-sensei. She felt Rin sit down beside her.

"We don't hate you, you know," Rin stated.

Naruto shrugged. "I know."

"You shouldn't hide from us."

"I'm not _hiding."_

Rin hugged her, and ran a gentle hand through her hair. "Yes, you are."

Naruto buried her face in Rin's shoulder, relaxing for just a moment. There were a few times, before Sakura-chan…died…when she'd fallen asleep because Sakura-chan had run her fingers through Naruto's hair, like Rin was doing now. It never failed to make her sleepy.

After a while, she sighed unhappily. "I've been doing such a crappy job so far...I couldn't even save those kids."

"Why do you say that? They're back with their families."

"Because," she replied quietly. "That guy can go back and get them. We didn't even _capture _him."

"Hokage-sama sent replacements. Our mission is over."

"But those kids are still _there. _They're still in _danger. _How can you live with yourself, knowing that our failed mission is-"

"We didn't _fail,_ Naruto. Our mission was to investigate the kidnappings, and report our findings. We were supposed to avoid engaging in combat; that's why it was C-rank to begin with. Why do you think we were instructed to blend in?"

Naruto really didn't have an answer for that. She pulled her head off of Rin's shoulder and smiled weakly. "I just…have a hard time leaving people behind."

"You can't save _everyone. _You're only human; you're not a god."

Naruto winced. _You're not a god. _Why did everyone say that? She _knew _she was human; otherwise, she'd be _able _to save everyone. "I know."

"Now, we should go find our teammates. Even though he'll definitely deny it, Obito is worried about you, and Kakashi-kun deserves an explanation."

Naruto bit her lip. "I…do I have to?"

"No, but you _should. _Kakashi-kun _is _our teammate, and keeping secrets can be devastating to a team. You don't have to tell him _everything,_ but…at least assure him that you're not some sort of enemy."

"Yeah…you're probably right," she reluctantly agreed. Then, something hit her. "Um…sorry, by the way…for forgetting that we were supposed to go on a date. I promised…"

"It's fine, Naruto. This can count, and then we've all kept our promises to each other."

Naruto smiled a small smile. That _was _her problem; Naruto _hated _the thought of leaving a promise unfulfilled.

"But you _have _to give me a goodbye kiss," Rin teased.

"Rin!"

She laughed. "It's tradition, after all. _Remember?"_

Naruto rolled her eyes. "I remember."

A touch of their lips, and the date was over. Rin smiled at her. "Now, let's go find our team."

* * *

Grah, I suck at writing Kakashi. I suck at fight scenes. And I think I should explain one more thing.

In my story, as of now, Rin calls Kakashi 'Kakashi-kun,' and she doesn't use any honorific for her other teammates. THIS DOES NOT MEAN SHE HAS A CRUSH ON HIM! Here's the deal:

She doesn't use an honorific with Obito, for two reasons. First, it's a habit, because she didn't really respect him at first. During their time with their old team, He told her he didn't care about the honorific. She doesn't use an honorific with Naruto for...pretty much the same reason. I mean...the first thing Naruto did was anger Rin by using orioke no jutsu...which obviously lowered Rin's respect to pretty much zero. Naruto really DOESN'T care about respect...as evidenced by her own speech. However, Rin adds -kun to Kakashi's name, because she respects him AND he doesn't appreciate the kind of disrespect addressing him without an honorific means. Do you all get it? Good.


	15. A Failed Twist or a Twisted Failure

Hello there, my lovelies! Sorry for not posting sooner; this time, I really do have a good excuse. As some of you know, I'm primarily an artist. And as my fellow artists know, when inspiration hits, you don't just say 'no.' Even if I COULD say no to inspiration, that would be, effectively, artistic suicide. I spent nearly a week working on a statue for Karin, and now that I'm finished, I think you'll all be pleased to hear that I have another chapter and a half written, besides this one. I'm almost finished with "Cause and Effect," everybody, but there will be a sequel. And probably a few more sequels. I'm not clever enough to think up stuff for Naruto and Company to do during the timeskip, so guess what? We're just going to skip over it. Lame? Yes. Me? Totally.

To explain last chapter...it's not that Naruto sucks. It's my writing. I suck at fight scenes, and I definitely suck at writing intense emotion. I'm worse at fight scenes, though. Anyway, Naruto was fighting off the demon chakra, but the seal was malfunctioning. I'll explain that in...chapter 16 or 17, I'm thinking, as well as the solution I mention in this chapter.

Our Big Anticipated Mission - I think you'll both like and HATE me, but mostly hate me, for changing some aspects of it. But, in my defense, I've been planning next chapter (chapter 15) since I started writing this. Kakashi's little revelation at the end of this is, in my opinion, completely justifiable. If it was me in that situation, that's exactly what would've run through my mind. Of course, I'm not a ninja, so it's a different situation. Still, I like the way he turned out. I still suck at writing him, but it will get easier now.

One more thing to keep in mind during this chapter: Naruto's definitely not perfect. She makes mistakes.

* * *

_Jounin._

Naruto had known it was coming, of course, but...for it to happen this soon...

She was worried. They weren't ready! She could only hope she'd changed enough. Maybe the mission would be different this time? She'd never gotten details from Kakashi-sensei. Even if she had asked...he probably wouldn't have answered. He'd always been too damn secretive.

Kakashi was a jounin now, and they would head out on their first mission under him...as soon as Obito arrived. Naruto had seriously debated getting Kakashi a present; though it was customary, he _was _a brick, and she wasn't sure he really understood the significance.

However, after careful consideration, she'd decided to give him a unique kunai pouch - he'd favored it when he was Kakashi-sensei, and she was pretty sure he didn't have one now. There were two openings; the traditional top opening, and one accessible from a false pocket. In a tense situation, he could nonchalantly stick his hands in his pockets and discreetly grab kunai.

She wondered absently if Obito had gotten Kakashi a present; she had a sneaking suspicion he hadn't. He was still childish sometimes.

_And_he was already thirty minutes late.

Naruto had plenty of experience with tardiness; after all, Kakashi-sensei had been late nearly all the time, and he'd...uh...drawn inspiration...from Obito. But that didn't mean she _liked _it; she was impatient, and she didn't really like to stand still for very long. Well, at least he wasn't always _two hours _late.

She pulled her shoulder-length hair up into a ponytail, wincing as she tugged it as tight as it could go. She wrapped the tail around itself and fastened it down, to form an even tighter bun; she'd found that, while growing her hair out _did _make her look a bit more girly, it was also very impractical. She folded her hands behind her head, tapping her left foot against the ground impatiently.

Ten minutes later, Naruto's lips gave an involuntary twitch upward as her Uchiha teammate rounded the corner at a run and tripped, landing in a strangely amusing heap in front of them. Hey...it _was _amusing. She'd only seen him once in the last three days, and she wondered what he'd been up to.

"I made it, right? Just in time?"

Naruto couldn't be _sure, _but she _thought _Kakashi seemed a little different for some reason. He still glared as he replied, "No, because you're _late, _Obito! What time did you _think_ we were meeting, idiot?"

Still...she had a vague feeling that something _was _different. She couldn't tell what it was, though; she just sincerely hoped the change was for the better.

"I..."

"As a shinobi of Konoha, you should..."

"They both drive me nuts sometimes," Naruto confided to Rin in a whisper. Rin just gave her a look that said, _'What can you do?'_

"Well...I'm kind of worried," Naruto went on, still in an undertone. She didn't want Kakashi _or _Obito to hear their conversation. "I mean, this is..."

"Naruto, this isn't your responsi-"

"I don't care. Kakashi might be an ass, but he's my _friend. _Obito is...well, he's _Obito. _You know. I can't just _let _what happened-"

"You've done everything you could. We've all trained hard. If we all just focus on staying alive and in top form, we don't have to concentrate on not dying."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Uh...what?"

"Never mind. I think they've worked it out...or something. And Minato-sensei probably wants to get going now."

Naruto glanced at the three men on her team, quirking an eyebrow at their expectant gazes. "What? Did I miss something?"

"I could ask the same question," Obito accused, pointedly ignoring Kakashi's noise of frustration.

"Then I'll answer that yes, you did miss something. What did _I _miss?"

"You should learn to pay attention," Kakashi lectured.

"And _you _should learn that having a stick up your a-"

"That's enough," Rin said hastily, cutting off Naruto's vulgar retort. "We're leaving now, right? Everyone try to get along...this is our first A-ranked mission."

_"Your_ first A-ranked mission," Naruto mumbled, kicking at the dirt. She felt suddenly nervous...and resentful, of nothing, for seemingly no reason. Nevertheless, she didn't complain as she followed the rest of her team out of the village gates.

"Presents now, right," Minato-sensei asked, and Naruto was glad of the distraction. He turned to face the group, walking backward to watch their faces. He held up a kunai she recognized; Kushina-neechan had described it, and what it could do.

Her eyes widened. "That's..."

"Yep," he affirmed with a grin, winking. As if it was candy, instead of a_ sweet _ninja tool! What a dork. "It's a special kunai! It'll be a little heavier than you're used to...and the shape is a little awkward...but with practice, I'm sure you'll be able to get the hang of it. Keep it on you for this mission!"

He took on a thoughtful look, and looked briefly at each member of the team. "I'm going to scout ahead. I won't go far. Continue this without me for a minute." He leaped ahead.

Rin smiled happily, and held out a small pouch. "This is from me, Kakashi-kun. I'm sure you'll be able to handle a personal medicine bag! You've gotten better, after all."

Naruto saw Obito direct a jealously dark look at Kakashi. She sighed and tossed the weapons pouch to her youngest teammate. Lacing her fingers behind her head again, she explained, "This is a pretty cool weapons pouch. You strap on that false pocket, and you can get kunai and shuriken out through that hole. Y'know...in situations where you need to be sneaky and stuff." She smirked and added, "You should definitely use it on this mission, or I'll be hurt. And you wouldn't want to hurt your incredibly sexy blonde bombshell teammate, would you?"

If Kakashi was going to respond, he was cut off by Obito's blunt, "I don't see any 'sexy blonde bombshells' here."

"Be quiet, or I'll have to hurt you," Naruto replied, unlacing her fingers for a moment to flick a hand in his direction. Putting them back together, she continued, "Obviously, you're blind."

"Don't make fun of my eyes," he retorted hotly.

"I would never. I'd rather make fun of the fact that you didn't get Kakashi a gift."

He made a face and crossed his arms. "I wasn't really paying attention yesterday. The conversation was lame, so I stopped listening."

Naruto thought she saw Kakashi twitch.

"It doesn't matter," her masked teammate remarked, and for a moment, Naruto thought that maybe their team was getting more cohesive. "You can make yourself useful and carry my stuff."

...Or maybe not.

"Your people skills suck! And you do, too! How did you ever become a jounin, huh?"

"Be quiet. I don't want to talk to you."

Obito stopped in his tracks. Naruto grabbed the side of her face, covering one eye. They...ugh. Sometimes, Obito could be more aggravating than Sasuke had been...because at least Sasuke had been pretty regular with his moods. Always brooding, or angry, or mocking. But Obito was sometimes worse than a girl at _that _time of the month when he had mood swings.

"You listen here, Kakashi," he said, hair shadowing his face. "I'm Uchiha Obito! I _will _surpass you, as soon as my Sharingan awakens!"

Naruto remembered a somewhat similar scene between Sasuke and herself. She frowned at the memory; it hurt. Suddenly, she realized that somewhere along the line, she'd forgotten how much he'd hurt her, and hurt her loved ones. Instead, all she could remember were the good times, and their rivalry.

It was strange.

"I thought all Uchiha were elite ninja," Kakashi retorted. "But the Uchiha standing in front of me isn't elite in any way."

"Cut it out, you two," Rin interjected, waving her hands in front of her chest in a placating gesture. "If you keep bickering, how will we be able to concentrate on our surroundings?"

"Besides, you guys are being stupid," Naruto added, conveniently forgetting that she'd been Kakashi's age when she'd had this fight with Sasuke. She spoke from experience, so it was fair.

Minato-sensei reappeared in time to cut off any more conversation. "We're gonna stop here for a moment," he said, motioning for them to cluster. "We'll be at the border within six hours; I want you all to rest up and prepare yourselves. Drink a little water, eat a little, and make sure you're in top form. I'll brief you now."

Naruto obediently sat down, stretching her legs and drawing a ration bar out of her pack. She broke it in half, stuffed one half in her mouth, and put the other half back into her pack. She needed to stretch her supplies in case the mission took a turn for the worse. That was another thing she'd learned the hard way during the war with Ame and its allies.

"Now, listen up. Hokage-sama had originally intended to give us a different mission; however, because of certain information, he decided to switch us to a mission that relies on stealth. Naruto, that means you're going to have to wear something _other _than that jumpsuit."

Naruto frowned. "Uh...I don't..."

"Borrow something of Rin's to wear instead of your pants, and take your jacket off."

She averted her eyes. "Rin's clothes are too small for me. I'm built differently, and I'm much bulkier because I favor taijutsu."

"Then borrow something from one of the boys," he replied exasperatedly, unfolding a map. "Anyway, back to the mission. Here's Earth country...they're currently planning to invade Kusa. There are already about a thousand ninja already at the front line; we have to hurry, or we'll be too late."

"But...their rear guard will definitely be smooth. What's our role in all this," Rin asked.

"You four have been chosen to, effectively, sabotage the enemy; we don't have enough frontline ninja to stop them," Minato-sensei replied.

"The bridge," Kakashi surmised, eyes narrowed. "What are we doing to it?"

"You're sharp, Kakashi. You're taking your team to the bridge and destroying it. They need it for supplies, and if the bridge is collapsed, it will definitely hinder them. Sneak in, destroy the bridge, and get out. _Don't _linger, but be thorough; we don't want Iwa to have _any _advantage."

The four nodded and formally accepted their mission.

"Wait...sensei...what are _you _going to do," Obito asked hesitantly.

"I...have a different mission. I will be acting as a diversion."

"By_ yourself?"_

Naruto rolled her eyes and kicked a foot at him. It didn't quite reach. "Don't question sensei. He knows what he's doing."

She just wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

It was _almost _comforting to know that the mission had been switched, but something was nagging at her. Why did this sound so familiar? Kakashi-sensei hadn't ever mentioned the _mission..._had he?

She put her canteen to her lips, swallowing a mouthful of water. Why did this seem so familiar? Maybe...

It hit her.

On her first big mission...the mission to Nami...Kakashi-sensei had been willing to act as a diversion, so that Naruto and her team could get away with Tazuna. And in the end, Sasuke had been willing to take a fatal blow for her. He'd activated his Sharingan, working with her,_protecting _her...but _why?_

She didn't have time to think on it; this was a new mission. Minato-sensei was acting as a decoy on a _much _bigger scale; admittedly, he had Hiraishin no jutsu, which had always scared Iwa. But he wasn't _just _her sensei; he was...family.

"Please be careful, sensei," she murmured, studying the dirt with utmost intensity.

"Don't question sensei," Obito mimicked mockingly.

She jerked her head to look at him and glared heavily. "And _you,"_she said fiercely. "Don't you _dare _die. Or I'll kill you myself."

"What the hell?! Don't be an idiot, Naruto! I'm not going to die any time soon!"

"Just_ don't," _she repeated, feeling a hint of desperation. Out of all the people she'd met in this new life, he was her best friend. She _couldn't _let him die!

"Uh...okay," he replied, looking slightly bewildered. She couldn't really blame him...but she couldn't tell him. Not yet.

"And, Rin...be careful. Take care of yourself."

"You know I will."

"And_ you, _Kakashi. I'm not going to bother lecturing you about teamwork. Instead, I'm gonna tell you that what I told Obito goes for you too. You may be a jerk and a brick, but I still care about you."

Kakashi didn't outwardly react, but Obito's face screwed up in a strange expression. "Okay, you love everyone and we all love you. Blah, blah, blah. Now...stop it! You're creeping me out!"

Naruto didn't respond. She was afraid to tell him exactly _why _she was so worried. She didn't want to admit it out loud; that would make it a past reality. But she had a chance to change it now; she didn't want _him _to think it was an option.

Because it _wasn't._

Minato-sensei clapped his hands. "All right, team. Get your stuff together; we're heading out in three. Naruto, change your clothes."

Naruto stuffed her canteen into a pocket in her pack, and turned to Obito. "Uh...can I have some of your pants?"

He shrugged and dug a pair out of his pack. "Hurry and change. And don't lose them!"

"What, you think I'll be taking them off?"

"No, but..." He averted his eyes. "Whatever. Just go change."

She smiled and ducked behind a rock, pulling off her orange calf-length bottoms and pulling on Obito's black ones. It felt strange to be wearing all black; her shirt had only a red spiral on the back. She felt _exposed, _and she felt strangely glad that she had bound her chest tightly.

She rolled her orange pants up into a tight ball and shoved them into her pack. "Okay, I'm all ready. We can go now."

"Then, team, this is it," Minato-sensei said. "We'll set up camp when we're about an hour away from the border; tomorrow morning, before sunrise, our mission officially starts."

With that, the group split apart and took to the trees. They had a _long_ way to go, after all. She watched Kakashi out of the corner of her eye, recognizing the frown on his face. It looked a lot like his irritated frown, but she knew from her experience with Sasuke that it wasn't irritation. It was worry. It had always made her feel insecure when Sasuke worried; deep down, she'd always thought that he_ was _better than her. Usually, if _Sasuke _worried, then the situation really _was _bad. It was similar with Kakashi, and Naruto was once again struck with the parallels.

But_ why _had Sasuke been willing to take that blow for her? Why had he wanted to protect her? She'd always thought he hated her, or at least didn't like her. At one time, he'd admitted to seeing her as a best friend. But he'd immediately tried to sever that tie. Why would he protect her, if he was only planning to kill her in the end?

Or_ had _he always planned to kill her? It had never been clear. She'd always wanted to believe that it had been Hebi-kusotare's seal that made him act that way...but after Orochimaru had been defeated by Sasuke, he'd still wanted to kill her.

Or maybe he hadn't.

It was all so confusing.

If Kakashi was in the same situation, would _he _take a fatal blow for her? She didn't think so. It was a bit sad, but mostly comforting. He deserved a chance to become Kakashi-sensei...even if he wouldn't be _her _Kakashi-sensei. She'd already changed history a _lot._

Sasuke, before he'd 'died' on the bridge, had told her to live. He'd told her to never give up her dream. Why? Why would he say something like that? Why would he care, even back then?

What was she missing?

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

Minato glanced at Naruto, studying her. She looked worried, but that was to be expected; she was worried about Kakashi, and Obito. Especially Obito. They _were _close...almost too close. He was worried too, but for another reason completely.

Her new seal had been wonderfully effective in holding back the demonic chakra, but it messed up her chakra control. She had to work at it again, but they hadn't had enough time before this mission; it was one of the reasons the Sandaime had decided to switch the mission.

He_ did _realize that he'd started to view her as close family. He definitely wasn't old enough to have a daughter, but he felt like her father anyway. Kushina felt like her mother, though she called Naruto "Naruto-neechan," and it was now that he realized the dangers of being his own daughter's sensei. He didn't want to send her off on such a dangerous mission.

However, the situation was as it was, and he just needed to make sure he was an effective distraction, for everyone's sakes. He often wondered if wanting to protect Naruto more than the others was considered 'selfish' or 'favoritism,' but not today.

Today, he only focused on preparing them as best he could.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

Obito had left the campsite, looking surly. She couldn't really _blame_ him for feeling that way; Kakashi had a knack for getting him riled up. Besides; he'd _totally _frozen up earlier. Rin had patched up Kakashi, Obito had felt useless, and Kakashi had come out looking like the better man.

Just like Sasuke.

Naruto thought that both Obito and Kakashi were being childish and harsh, but that was their dynamic. Would Kakashi take a fatal blow for_ Obito? _It didn't seem likely at the moment, but she'd been wrong before. Maybe it was a rivalry thing?

_"My body moved without my consent."_

Naruto had done that before, but that had been because Shikamaru was in danger. She'd moved before she knew what she was doing; she'd moved without thinking. She'd done it for Sakura-chan, too. But _that _had been because she loved them.

That _couldn't _have been _Sasuke's _reason...right?

She shrugged to herself, ignoring Rin's questioning look. She decided it would be better to get her mind off these questions she couldn't answer, so she kept her eyes peeled for Obito, stretching idly and yawning. She was tired for some reason, even though they hadn't done anything _too _strenuous all day.

Eventually, Obito came back from wherever he'd gone - she was pretty sure he'd gone to see Minato-sensei. He looked pensive and more disgruntled than when he'd left, but Naruto suspected it was for different reasons. Maybe he'd found out something disturbing? That seemed likely. And it must've been about Kakashi, because she noticed him watching their masked teammate out of the corner of his eye. She was glad, for some reason, that Kakashi didn't notice.

He sat next to her, sighing. She raised an eyebrow at his behavior. "You okay?"

"Of course I am," he responded grouchily.

"Well, sorry for caring."

She couldn't help feeling irritated. She didn't _want _to be irritated with him, especially now, but for some reason she felt antsy and confused. It wasn't _his _fault, it was Sasuke's, or maybe it was her own. But damn it, he was aggravating the problem!

She figured she ought to tell him it wasn't his fault, but she didn't.

"Fine."

She didn't want to fight with her new best friend, she really didn't, but she didn't say anything else. She'd say something when they both felt better; probably in the morning. Even though she was irritated, she _still _didn't want him to die. She had been increasingly sure this was _The _mission, even though she'd never actually heard the full story. She thought she remembered Kakashi-sensei mention a bridge, or maybe he didn't, but she had the feeling she'd heard about this before.

"I'm going to bed," Obito grumbled. "Night."

"Mm," Naruto responded noncommittally. To Rin, she said, "I think I'm gonna get some sleep too. Unless you want me to sit with you on your watch?"

"No, Kakashi-kun said he'd stay up with me."

Naruto's eyebrows raised. "Really? What brought that on?"

Rin shrugged, looking sad. "I don't think he wants to sleep. He'll never tell _me _what's going on, though."

"That's...too bad."

"I know."

"Tell Kakashi to get some sleep sometime tonight; we want him in top form. Well, we want everyone in top form, but he's included in 'everyone.' So...yeah."

"I will."

"And you get some sleep too."

"I will."

"Wake me up when it's time for my watch."

"I will."

"Say something else!"

"I will. Eventually."

Naruto grinned. "Night, Rin."

"Night, Naruto."

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

"This is where we split up, guys," Minato-sensei said quietly. "Rendezvous at the campsite in two hours. If you have any problems, throw that kunai I gave you, Kakashi. Any questions?"

"No," Naruto muttered. Her three teammates echoed her understanding.

"Then get going."

Team Kakashi (how strange!) set off in one direction, and Minato-sensei in another. She wanted to warn him, to warn Kakashi, to warn Obito...but she didn't. Instead, she caught Obito's eye and offered a half-smile. "Sorry about last night."

"Yeah, me too. I was just confused."

"Same here."

Then, they didn't speak.

Forty minutes later, Team Kakashi could see the bridge. Kakashi held out a hand to stop them. "Naruto, you're going to use Oodama Rasengan to destroy the supports. Obito, you're going to use your biggest Katon to destroy the actual bridge. I want this done in less than ten minutes, because Rin and I will be your lookout. If I recall you, you _will _come back, or we will leave you. Do you understand?"

Naruto scowled. "Yeah, yeah."

"Jackass," Obito added in an undertone.

"Break," Kakashi ordered, ignoring Obito's disrespect. He must've picked up on the fact that Obito didn't really _care _about respect, and certainly wouldn't show it to _Kakashi._

"C'mon, Obito," Naruto said, and pulled him toward the bridge. "Let's get this over with."

After about two minutes, Obito frowned and stopped short. "Wait."

"We have to _hurry," _Naruto stressed.

"Yeah, but I think someone's over there," he replied.

"Yeah. Rin's over there."

"No, somebody else. What if something happened to her?"

Naruto frowned. "She's really strong. And Kakashi's watching with her, right?" But she wasn't sure any more; Obito had a sort of knack for knowing these things. She figured it was some sort of Uchiha thing, since all the Uchiha she'd interacted with had the same ability.

"I don't know. He...might leave her if things get too out of hand," he muttered.

"Well, then...what do you want to do? I mean..."

"Well...maybe..."

"Let me destroy the bridge," Naruto decided. "I can do it with a different technique. Go make sure she's all right. I'll just be a minute, okay?"

He frowned. She knew she'd given him an unfair choice, but really, he loved Rin. She _could _take care of herself, and Kakashi was out there...he at least cared about the mission, she knew. She could at least count on him to make sure the _mission _didn't fail.

"Just go. _Now."_

He finally left, and she continued to the bridge. It only took a moment, but with two Oodama Rasengan and a sort of lame Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu, she had the bridge taken care of. Despite her natural failure with fire, she had learned it...and for now, it did the job. But she had an increasingly bad feeling about all this, and she just hoped she was just overreacting.

She hadn't heard anything yet, after all.

Just as she neared the line of trees closest to the bridge, Naruto heard Kakashi's voice. Hurrying closer, she heard Obito say, quietly, "I think that the White Fang was a _true _hero."

Who was _that?_

Kakashi didn't respond. Naruto caught sight of them; Rin was nowhere to be found.

"Guys? Where's Rin?"

"She has been captured," Obito informed tightly. He hopped into the trees.

"Well, let's go get her then," Naruto exclaimed, following him. "Kakashi, hurry up!"

"He's not coming with us. The bastard thinks she's not important." Obito's voice held a hint of fury.

Naruto spared a glance in Kakashi's direction. He looked almost shocked. "So...this is what it comes down to, huh? Abandon one comrade for another?"

Still, she didn't slow her pace. She hoped that Kakashi would learn from Obito this time, like he'd learned last time.

"I guess. Kakashi's safe. Rin-chan's not. We have to get her!"

Naruto sped up, matching his pace. "Yeah...I think you're right. But aren't you worried about Kakashi?"

"No," he replied bluntly.

She sighed. _She _was worried about Kakashi, at any rate. She _really _hoped he'd be okay. But if she had to abandon one comrade for another, she knew she'd pick the one who was in the most danger.

Rin, in this case.

"I don't want to leave you," she called over her shoulder, "but I refuse to abandon Rin."

She faced forward again. "Do you know where they took her?"

"She's close. This way."

"How do you know?"

"They're all there. Can't you tell?"

It _must've _been an Uchiha thing. She couldn't tell at all. She doubted even Kushina-neechan could've caught it, and Kushina-neechan was definitely a _good _kunoichi. "No, but I trust you."

He was right; she caught sight of Rin on her knees, looking pale and shaking. She looked afraid of...something. It looked like she'd been caught in a genjutsu, but that would have to be really powerful, to catch her.

Meaning, it was dangerous.

Obito was shaking too. She glanced sideways at him. He seemed to be frozen, or maybe going through an internal struggle, but they didn't really have time for that. She pulled on his shoulder. "C'mon, we have to get her," she hissed.

"Get_ who," _a voice asked behind her. When she turned, no one was there. Where was the guy who'd spoken?

Another voice said, "It looks like Hideo _wasn't _lying about the Namikaze and Uchiha team. We're lucky we followed your instincts."

Before Naruto could voice her bad feeling, and before she could get out of the way, she felt a blow to the back of her head and everything went dark.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

After three minutes, Kakashi followed after his teammates. This wasn't the first time Obito had lectured about the importance of comrades, but it _was _the first time anyone had spoken about his father in such a way. Something had struck him; he wasn't sure what the _feeling _was, but he didn't want to think about it.

Kakashi had never wanted to remember his father in a good way, because nobody else did and he didn't want to emulate someone everyone hated. But if someone else thought that his father was a good person...then maybe it was okay. Even if that person was a coward; even if that person was a failure.

Because secretly, Kakashi wished he _could _remember his father's good points.

Kakashi found Rin on her knees, looking pale and shaking. She had obviously been caught in a genjutsu...a powerful one, if she hadn't been able to dispel it. There was a man standing over her, about to deliver a killing blow. Kakashi didn't think; he just moved.

He had slit the man's throat before he registered his actions, but he didn't stop. He picked Rin up, bringing her out of the genjutsu, and carrying her to safety.

Or at least...that was what he'd intended. But all of a sudden, they were surrounded. Where were Obito and Naruto at a time like this? Weren't they looking for Rin? They would've been useful backup, at least!

He couldn't see when using Hiraishin...he _knew _that...but he didn't have any other options. He threw it, and hoped for the best. He knew he took some people out, before he felt something sharp pierce his neck, thankfully just below the jugular. He tried to keep going, but he collapsed as the blood poured out way too fast.

The last thing he heard, besides the groans of the dying enemy ninja, was Minato-sensei's voice telling...someone...to heal him, or something. But the last thing he saw, even though it should've been Minato-sensei's face, was his father's face.

Perhaps hiding hadn't been the best thing to do, after all. Underneath, he was still the scared little boy who wanted his dad back. But maybe now, the White Fang would be proud of his son.

Perhaps.

* * *

Well, there you have it. Chapter 14. It's okay to hate on me right now, you know. I do it all the time. Lol, or in case you're behind the times, 'laugh out loud.' (I'm such a dorkface...oh well.) 


	16. Cell Seven

Hey, guys! Remember their big mission at Tara? Well, that wasn't actually a plot hole. It comes into play now! And...just so you know, Naruto kind of has a mental breakdown in this chapter. This is the chapter I've been planning since I started writing this story; I'm not going to beg for reviews, but I'd really appreciate it if you tell me what you think!

* * *

"It's too bad they killed him," a female voice said. "We could've gotten more information out of him." 

"How were we to know he was telling the truth? Hideo's been trying to get back to Iwa for years. I guess he thought that the information plus the two teams would be enough," a male voice replied.

"Well, the kids are great, even though we had to collect them ourselves; and once they stop whining about going back to Tara and missing their families and shit, they'll probably be great to train."

"You're weird, you know that? You're too soft. You're not sensei material, but you're better than me. I'd probably kill them."

"Oh, stop that! You're horrible! We need all the ninja we can get."

"See what I mean? I told you, you're too soft. Now, shut up. I think that one's waking up."

Naruto opened her eyes; she knew she'd been caught. She hazily took in the sight in front of her; the room was made of stone. Not that she was surprised; the speakers were Iwa-nin. The woman had harsh features; her blue eyes were sharp, and her blonde hair was swept up into a tight bun. She was short, but looked very powerful. The man had sharp eyes like Shikamaru, and she found herself hating him for resembling the man she'd loved, even just a little. She scowled.

"Who the hell are you?"

"See? I told you, the Namikaze's feisty," the man said. "I had to sedate her four different times, because she kept waking up and going batshit. I was surprised she didn't die, but maybe that's part of her bloodline. Nobody's ever caught the Yellow Flash before, so nobody really knows."

Naruto's heart sank. They thought the Namikaze had a bloodline? And...she didn't _remember _waking up. She didn't remember _anything. _"Who are you," she demanded again.

"I'm Ami," the woman said, pointing to herself. "And this idiot is Sasuke. We're-"

"Shut up," Naruto shouted, figuratively seeing red. "Don't you dare call yourself Sasuke!" She suddenly felt sick, like something was trying to break out of her stomach. It made her angry. "You're lying!"

"See? There she goes again," the man said, seemingly unfazed by her shouting. It just made her angrier. But when she tried to get up, she couldn't, and she realized that she was being restrained.

"Good thing you put them in here. Look, the cuffs are seriously being strained."

Naruto looked around and caught sight of dark hair. Obito's eyes were closed and he was breathing shallowly. He was covered in blood, but she wasn't sure it was his. Still, it riled her up again. "Let him go! He didn't do anything to you! And let me go, too! I'm not even _distantly _related to the Namikaze!"

Well, it was sort of true, at any rate.

"Shut up," the man (she just couldn't call him 'Sasuke') said coldly. "Or do you want to be sedated _again?"_

She spat at him. "I don't care. I won't tell you anything, I won't help you with anything. And I wouldn't give you any information about the Namikaze, even if I knew anything."

"She obviously doesn't remember," the man remarked to Ami, sighing unconcernedly. "Ah, well."

He moved, and Naruto felt a prick in her neck before darkness claimed her again.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

"Do you know why she's reacting so strangely," a male voice asked curiously through the thick haze.

"No idea," a female voice replied. "It's kind of boring sitting here, though. The other kid hasn't even woken up yet, and she's woken up a few times. I don't get it…we gave them the same amount of sedative. I'm just glad we upped his dose when we sedated her again, or we might have two crazy brats on our hands. You know, I really hate Hiro-taichou right now. If he wants them, he should be here, not us. I want to be with my kids."

"And I want to be at the front line," the male voice responded. The haze was clearing slowly, but Obito still didn't open his eyes. He wanted to listen before he looked.

"Yeah, because you're insane," the woman hissed. "The Yellow Flash was there yesterday. He's probably there again, unless he's actually_ looking _for these brats. Actually, he might be. I mean...the bitch is his family."

"Hey, what can I say? I want to see him in action. I've always wanted to see it."

"Shut up. The Uchiha brat's waking up."

Obito opened his eyes, trying to blink away the haze in front of his eyes. It was hard. "Where am I," he asked aloud, not really expecting a reply.

"You're a prisoner of Iwa," the woman replied cheerfully. "Look to your left; your teammate is restrained. You are too, you know. I don't want to have to kill you; you're both gonna be useful, probably."

Obito frowned confusedly. "Why are we here?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Tch. Idiot. I told you, we captured you."

"Well...who are you," he asked. This whole situation seemed wrong for some reason, but the haze was addling his brain.

"I'm Ami, and this guy beside me is Sasuke. Welcome to the Iwa Prison. You're in the ward where we keep war captives. Luckily for you, Iwa needs you, so you're in a nicer cell. Your teammate should be waking up soon; she usually lasts for two hours or so before she wakes up and freaks out. Just sit tight, and then you can tell your teammate what's going on. She refuses to listen to us."

Sasuke. That name sounded familiar for some reason. "...Sasuke?"

"That's my name," the man said disinterestedly. "Do you have a first name, Uchiha?"

Uchiha...? Was that where that name was familiar? "Uchiha Sasuke...?"

The man laughed. "Oh...that's probably why she was freaking out! The sedative we used on you guys messes with your brains. You'll probably be feelin' the headache in a few minutes, and then your vision will clear. I guess it's because we have the same name. She probably thought I was some sort of impostor!" He laughed. "That's funny."

Obito shook his head. "I'm not Sasuke. You are. Are _you _Uchiha Sasuke?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "You stupid or somethin'? I'm not Uchiha, you are. Or did we just catch some dropout?"

Obito's face felt prickly all of a sudden, and his vision started clearing...before a wave of nausea and a sharp pain in his temples hit him. "Ugh..."

"Now it's all coming back," the woman snickered. "What's your name, Uchiha?"

Obito didn't respond. He wasn't quite sure what was going on; for some reason, what had just happened was extremely difficult to recall. Was he supposed to tell them his name? He didn't know. They knew he was Uchiha, but then, all Konoha nin did. He didn't recognize their voices, and he didn't think they were Konoha nin anyway.

"Tell us your name, brat."

"Shut up," he moaned. "My head."

He heard a hoarse groan to his left and he saw blonde before he squinted his eyes; the light had suddenly become unbearable. "What the hell is this," another female voice asked sleepily. He recognized that voice. _Naruto, _his mind supplied.

"You're in an Iwa holding cell," the woman answered, sounding exasperated. "How many times do I need to tell you?"

"You never told me anything," Naruto replied, sounding much more awake, but also much colder. "Don't be stupid. And if I'm in an Iwa holding cell, then why am I not being tortured?"

"You're too useful to be tortured," the man said matter-of-factly. "Now, you should cooperate. Your teammate is awake this time, so we can finally do our jobs."

"Obito?" Naruto's voice was louder than he remembered. "Obito, are you okay?"

"You're hurting my head," he complained. "Shut up for a second, will you?"

"What happened?"

"I have no idea. Now _please, _be quiet," he replied snippily.

She didn't answer. There was silence for a few minutes, and he found that he could open his eyes now; though the pain was still there, it had lessened. The woman shifted. "Now, can we _please _get on with this? I need to get back to my kids."

"Whatever, Ami," the man muttered. What was his name again?

The woman faced them stiffly, frowning with her thin lips. "Now, listen, brats. You can do this the easy way or the hard way, but we'd prefer the easy way. We don't want you damaged, but we _will _get your cooperation one way or another. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Obito cocked his aching head. "What are you talking about?"

"Bloodlines," she explained matter-of-factly. "Uchiha, Konoha's most feared bloodline carriers, and Namikaze, the wild card. But if Hideo was telling the truth about that red chakra, I'm willing to bet it's just as powerful. Now, be good little brats and tell us everything you know."

Naruto spat at them, though Obito didn't quite know why. What was a bloodline? And why did Uchiha sound so damn familiar?

"I'm not tellin' you anything," she snarled. "Bastards. I'll kill you ten times over!"

"That's not really an option," the man said in a bored tone. "Besides, you've got restraints on. If you can get out of those, you must have the strength of a demon."

Demon...didn't Naruto have a connection with a demon or something? Or maybe that was her nickname? Demon child? No...that was what people had called her when they wanted to put her down, right?

All of a sudden, he knew that something was terribly wrong. He narrowed his eyes, or at least he thought he did. He couldn't tell through the pain. "What's really going on?"

The woman rolled her eyes, shrugging, and gave an _I told you so _look to the man. "The brats are both stupid, I guess. We should've put them in cell seven in the first place, but Hiro-taichou actually thought they'd be scared, or at least intelligent, enough to help us."

"Don't count on it," Naruto shouted, and Obito winced. His head was pounding. "I'm not afraid of some stupid Iwa-nin, and I'd die before betraying Konoha! Give it up already!"

"We'll just have to move them," the man replied, ignoring Naruto's outburst.

Obito really wanted to protest, but his mouth didn't seem to be working. It was as if his whole body was rebelling, and he wondered why. It wasn't as if he was particularly scared now; it wasn't like those other times, when he'd frozen up out of fear.

"Be careful with the Namikaze; we can't take any chances. And stay away from Uchiha's eyes. Those are our ticket to the top, you know."

"You mean _Hiro-taichou's _ticket to the top," the man muttered in response, but he moved toward them anyway. He glanced from Naruto to Obito and back again, before shrugging and slapping a strange seal onto Naruto's forehead. She twitched, as if in pain, before drooping. She wasn't asleep, but she seemed to be sapped of energy all of a sudden.

"C'mon, Uchiha, Namikaze. We're moving you to cell seven. Don't try to resist, or I'll break your bones."

Obito still couldn't move. His body still wasn't following his brain's commands. He wanted to lash out, to attack the man, but he couldn't. It was very strange.

The woman sighed and yanked him to his feet, but hastily moved away as his stomach heaved and he vomited on the floor.

"He must've had a bad reaction," she said nasally. She must've been holding her nose. "No wonder he can't move. He's frozen up. Why is only _he _showing symptoms of overdose?"

Was that what was going on? Was that why his brain was only just functioning?

"Who cares? Now, we'll have to carry them both. You get Namikaze, I'll get Uchiha."

"Yeah, yeah, wimp. Let's go."

Obito felt the man pick him up and throw him bodily over his shoulder. The guy must've been strong. Obito's head was pounding again.

They arrived in a dark room, surrounded by thick steel walls. He was set against the wall, and his cuffs were attached to something on the wall behind him. His stomach heaved again, but nothing came out. He saw Naruto out of the corner of his eye, restrained much more heavily. Her shirt was in tatters around her waist; he was glad her chest was bound; she could avoid getting stared at by strange men or women, though the blood on the bindings was worrying. Had she fought someone?

"He'll have to be tended to sooner or later," the man said. "With a reaction like that, he must be allergic to the sedative. We don't want him dead, or he could be useless."

"I'll get Sakura to look at him," the woman replied, sounding bored. "Get that seal off the bitch and come on."

The man scowled, but did as he was told. Obito figured the woman was of higher rank than him. He removed the seal from Naruto's forehead and rushed out the door. A clank of heavy metal against heavy metal was the last he heard of his captors, before he heard a moan of pain from his companion.

"What the hell is going on," she asked groggily. "I feel like I just got trampled by Gamabunta."

"We're captured," he managed to say after a few seconds.

"...Fuck."

He really didn't have anything to add, even if he _could _talk.

"What's wrong with you," she asked after a few minutes. She didn't sound compassionate; she almost sounded accusing.

It took a moment to force out one word: "Poison." He wasn't sure if he was _actually _poisoned, but it was as close as he could get to reality with only one word.

"Oh. That sucks."

His brain wasn't so fuzzy that he couldn't pick up the reason she was acting so abrasive. She was scared of something. He couldn't be sure _what _she was scared of, but she _was _scared. Terrified, in fact. What was wrong with her? She had always seemed so fearless...

"Um...are you gonna be all right," she asked in a too-small voice. Why did she sound like that?

He shrugged slowly. He didn't know, and there was no point in lying.

"You'd better be all right," she said darkly. "Or people will die."

He thought that maybe that was supposed to be important to him, or something, but everything was hazy again and his eyelids were suddenly very heavy. His head was pounding harder, and his stomach heaved again. Nothing came out, but his head dropped to his chest. He thought he heard Naruto shouting something, but maybe he didn't. Soon, there was only darkness.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

Rin had never seen Minato-sensei like this. Under the anger, there was something else - something akin to fear. He seemed almost desperate, but that didn't make sense, because Minato-sensei was so...solid. He always had been. She didn't think he was even _capable _of desperation.

He was pacing, hands behind his back. They were in Konoha's hospital, in the room Kakashi-kun had just returned to. He was still unconscious, but that was probably due to the anesthetic; he was lucky to be alive. She had almost been unable to keep him alive until they got to Konoha; a centimeter higher, and his jugular would've been slashed. He looked so frail just now.

Her thoughts, however, were not on Minato-sensei _or _Kakashi-kun, although she felt ashamed of that. She knew she ought to be thinking of her hospitalized teammate, but she couldn't stop thinking about Obito and Naruto. They had been _taken. _The mission had been a success, but their team had been ripped apart. She'd wanted to get them back right away, but letting Kakashi-kun die was _not_ an option. They'd gotten him to the healing tent for the frontliners as soon as possible, but they hadn't been able to help. Their only option was to come back to Konoha and get together a rescue team.

She hoped Obito and Naruto were safe. She had a feeling they were still alive, but in danger; after all, Naruto was the daughter of the Yellow Flash, although Iwa wouldn't know that. They'd assume she was a sister or something. And Obito was an Uchiha. Bloodlines could be great assets, and this wouldn't be the first time the Namikaze had been suspected of having a bloodline.

She hoped they wouldn't cave. She didn't want to see them dead, at all...but she thought it would be worse - for _them - _if they betrayed Konoha. Naruto, at least, wouldn't be able to live with herself if she helped the enemy. Obito wouldn't really know what to do with himself; if he was one thing, it was loyal. To his friends more than anything, but Rin knew he didn't want to betray Konoha either. It had only intensified after Naruto had joined their team; he didn't want to be like Naruto's Sasuke. Rin doubted he knew that about himself.

Minato-sensei looked increasingly agitated. His steps were getting quicker, and harsher. She glanced at Kushina-san, who looked stricken. She was holding Kakashi-kun's hand, but her eyes were on her fiancée.

"Um...Kushina-san?"

The woman looked at her with that same strange fear-like look in her eyes. Rin looked away. "Are you...going to come with us?"

Kushina-san nodded, eyes wide. She seemed unable to answer verbally. Naruto called her 'mother' "Kushina-neechan," and Kushina-san called Naruto "Naruto-neechan," but what did Kushina-san actually feel for Naruto? Was it truly sisterly love, or was it more than that...motherly love?

Probably. Naruto just had a way of sneaking into people's hearts, and they were already connected. She felt sad for Kushina-san. Minato-sensei, too.

"As soon as Kakashi-kun wakes up and we're sure he'll get better, we can leave, right?"

Before anyone could answer, the Sandaime entered the room, took in the three conscious ninja (and the unconscious one), and sighed. "I'm sorry to tell you that we can't spare many ninja. Your rescue mission may have to wait, if the team of chuunin I have in mind don't accept the mission."

"Who are they, Hokage-sama," Minato-sensei asked quickly.

"Akimichi Chouza, Nara Shikaku, and Yamanaka Inoichi. They have worked together since graduating from the academy, and their teamwork is fluid. But they_ are _chuunin."

Minato-sensei hesitated. Rin understood; he had duties to all Konoha nin, not just Naruto.

"I'll call them for a mission," the Hokage said quietly, catching Minato-sensei's hesitation. "You three can't go alone."

Kushina-san frowned. "But..."

"They have the option to refuse the mission," the Sandaime reminded. It was true, but nobody ever refused. It was just words.

They were proud Konoha nin.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

It had been two weeks and a half, and Naruto still refused to eat. Obito had long been tended to; Naruto was grudgingly grateful to the medic who'd given him some sort of medication or something. She knew she'd have to eat something soon if she wanted to stay conscious, but she was afraid to; Obito ate only rarely, but he didn't seem _right. _She never _saw _him eat, but his plate would occasionally look emptier.

Another prisoner had been added to their cell, but he was dreadfully weak. Naruto knew he'd be dead within a day or two. She was feeling very detached lately; Obito was asleep more often than not, seemingly without energy. She was afraid the poison, or whatever it had been, had done some permanent damage, but they wouldn't let that happen to him, right? It would be detrimental to their purpose, after all.

She knew why they were there. She even knew what would happen to them. It didn't take a genius to figure it out, which was good, because she wasn't a genius. The man in their cell, the older one, didn't have a bloodline, but he was apparently someone important from Kusa. He had some sort of information, but he obviously refused to give it, because they were trying to torture it out of him. He'd confided to her, while Obito had been sleeping and he'd been stronger, that he had pills in his lower bindings. He had six; if one bit down on a pill in their mouth, they would be dead shortly. He had also confided that even though he refused to give information, he wasn't sure he had the courage to _kill _himself. Naruto might've felt for him, if she remembered how; she had definite hope that a rescue team would be coming for her and Obito.

Their cellmate couldn't say the same.

His name was Benjiro, and he was from Kusa. He wouldn't say more than that; at first, he hadn't told her anything, but after seeing her dragged in after an interrogation session (they were afraid to completely ruin her body, in case they ruined the secrets of her nonexistent bloodline, but spikes under her fingernails or beatings were just as effective as near-drownings or burnings), he'd loosened up a bit. She'd seen another prisoner forced to kneel on bamboo spikes that drove into his legs just below his kneecaps, and she considered herself lucky...but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to feel anything, any more. This all seemed surreal, like a really bad dream.

She just hadn't woken up yet.

Obito hadn't been taken out, but then, he wasn't really coherent. She had worried about him at first, but she found she really couldn't any more. She just couldn't _care _any more. Everything was _too _clear, and she wondered if maybe she was just hallucinating, and her stressed mind was fabricating the whole thing.

She watched the doors pass by as they dragged her into the cell again. Obito was still asleep. After the doors clanged - they didn't bother connecting her to the wall any more, just kept the cuffs on; she couldn't work up the energy to fight back - Benjiro motioned for her to come closer.

"I'm going to die in a few minutes," he whispered, as soon as she crawled closer. "I can't trust myself any more. I'm already too weak, and I can't tell them anything. Take the pills out of my bindings after I'm dead."

Naruto frowned slightly. "Don't say that. This isn't real...don't throw your life away."

He looked at her weakly, pityingly. "Don't give them anything. This _is _real. Take the pills after I die. I put them in a little bag, so they wouldn't get ruined."

Her shoulders rose once, and dropped. "It's your choice, I guess. I kinda liked you, you know. You were nice to me. You sure you want to die?"

"Of course I don't," he replied, coughing. "But I don't have another option if I want to keep Kusa safe. Thank you for being my friend."

Naruto heard a crunching sound, and Benjiro rapidly lost the color in his face. She frowned. Was he really dying, after all? Wasn't death supposed to be violent?

After a moment, Benjiro's eyes glazed over, and his chest was still. She poked him curiously. "Benjiro? Are you still there?"

There was no response.

For a few minutes, Naruto sat there, uncomprehendingly. He'd said he was going to die. He'd told her about the pills. He'd bit down on something, which had to be a pill. He wasn't breathing, wasn't responding.

He was dead.

At that thought, something was triggered in Naruto's conscious, and her stomach heaved. The sick splattered next to the dead man, splattering up on his tattered clothing. The smell reached her nose, prompting another expulsion of bile. She had nothing in her stomach to throw up, but the stomach acid and blood made up for the lack of food. She coughed several times, before dry heaving. She'd seen death before, but...

This was different. She hadn't even realized he was dead, until she'd run it through her mind. When had she become so cold...and why hadn't she helped him? Why hadn't she tried to stop him?

She dry heaved again, and felt something warm and wet on her cheeks. Were her cheeks bleeding? She couldn't remember getting hurt there, but she didn't know what else it could be.

It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't blood, but tears. That just made her feel sick again, but there was nothing left to throw up, and she only dry heaved again. But she took the pills from his bindings after she got control of her breathing; it was his last wish. At least she could honor it.

And then, she crawled over to Obito, her unconscious teammate and last cellmate, curled up next to him, and sobbed into his shoulder.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

Kushina had tried hard not to get discouraged, but she was having a hard time. It had been nearly three weeks since Naruto-neechan and Obito had been captured, and the rescue team hadn't found a _trace _of them. Shikaku suspected they were inside Iwa's borders; Kushina, though she didn't want to consider that, had to agree it was likely.

It was hard to think of her _daughter _in that position. Kushina knew that Naruto-neechan didn't want to think of her as a mother, which was a little painful, but she understood. It must've been hell growing up the way Naruto-neechan did.

Rin was growing increasingly agitated, and Minato...well, it was a wonder he hadn't lost it. He was just as worried as she was. Rin never slept well; she always muttered about Naruto-neechan in her sleep, telling her to look out. Obito made appearances occasionally, but not as much as Naruto-neechan. Kushina knew that the girls were incredibly close...Naruto-neechan often talked about Rin being her sister. Kushina didn't know Rin very well, but she knew now that the sentiment must be reciprocated.

Kushina worried about Kakashi, too. He was laid up in Konoha's hospital; well, he was probably out by now, but he had been. There was something significantly different about him; something must've happened between Kakashi and his two teammates. He hadn't vocalized it, but she could see that he had been worried about them.

Things were falling apart, or maybe they were coming together. Naruto-neechan had made so many promises during her life, and Kushina relied on that to get her through. Naruto-neechan wouldn't die until she'd accomplished everything she'd put her mind to; Uzumaki Naruto never broke a promise, after all.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

Obito woke, groggy and sick. He felt a weight on his shoulder, and he moved his head to see the source. It was a head, covered by short, uneven blonde hair. The body it belonged to was feminine, but he was confused; the only girl he knew with that hair color had shoulder-length hair. And she didn't cuddle up to him, and she _definitely _didn't cry. There were drying tears on his shoulder.

He felt better this time than he had before. He knew that they'd been drugging him, but he hadn't been able to figure out how, until he'd noticed a small pill not quite dissolved in the bottom of his cup. He'd decided to share with Naruto, but...he'd fallen asleep before he could ask her.

He didn't know why they'd drugged him, but they obviously needed him sedated for something. He hoped it wasn't too gruesome.

Now that his vision was sharper, he could see the girl's form clearly, and he was surprised to see that it _was _Naruto. She looked thinner, and weaker, and she was covered in blood and someone's sick. She looked horrible; he didn't want to see her any more, so he looked away.

His head brushed against hers, and she stirred. "O-obito? Are you awake?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"You're...alive, right? I'm not just dreaming?"

Her voice was too soft, too vulnerable-sounding. He didn't like the question, either. "Yeah."

She sighed and settled her head into the space between his shoulder and his chest. "Good."

She fell silent again. He frowned. What was wrong? Why was she acting so strangely?

"...Naruto?"

"Hmm?" She sounded exhausted.

"What happened to your hair?"

Obito thought that before, he would've been embarrassed about the random question. But he didn't really care right now.

"It's on my head, just shorter."

"Oh. What's going to happen now?"

She buried her face in the space her head was and clutched his arm with both of her cuffed hands. "I don't know."

He still didn't like her voice. It made her seem very weak. He tried another tack. "How long have we been here?"

"About three weeks, I think."

He felt something warm and wet on his shirt. He didn't want to think that Naruto could be crying, but that's what seemed to be happening. She didn't make any sound, but her body was shaking a bit. He wanted to say something to comfort her, or maybe yell at her, or _something, _but all that came out was, "Oh."

It might've been the drugs, but he didn't feel scared at all. He was pretty calm, actually; he might go so far as to say he was apathetic, if it weren't for the worry he was experiencing. Also, he felt something similar to despair...or maybe he was just getting sick again.

He couldn't really tell.

Eventually, Naruto stopped shaking, though she didn't turn her head. He didn't want to see her like this; he cast around for a topic, any topic that would fill the silence.

"It's pointless and weird and ridiculous to say this right now, but if we get out of here, my clan's gonna get down my throat because I got captured and didn't even activate my bloodline limit. They'll rip me apart," he tossed out, wondering why he'd said it. It wasn't a happy thought at all, even though it _was _true.

Naruto was silent for a good long while, until she replied, softly, "You know, Obito...my sensei once told me that _he _thought you guys must activate your bloodline while protecting what's most precious to you."

"Oh yeah," he muttered. He didn't want to talk about this...but he did want to, also. This was entirely the wrong place and the wrong time, but really, would there even _be _another time or place? It didn't matter what he thought, anyway; his mouth was moving without his consent. "Then why do most Uchiha activate it on their own in training or at least during missions? _I've _been on missions before, and...well, you know. _Nothing. _They aren't lying when they call me a failure. Your sensei wasn't a real Uchiha anyway; what did he know? Well, I guess I'm not a real Uchiha either, since I can't just _get _my Sharingan to activate like they do."

Naruto sighed and sat up, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall they were set against. "You're probably right. You're probably _not _a real Uchiha. You're not even a real ninja, technically."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he mumbled, stung. He turned his face away, even though it was dark.

Just in case, you know, something reflected off his face and she mistook the reflection for tears.

"You should take it as a compliment," she continued, sounding detached. "The thing my sensei _didn't _say...the thing I didn't really understand...is that Uchiha are _ninja. _You don't question whether or not a member of your clan is a ninja; if they're over twelve, and they're not handicapped in any way, it's a given. And to a ninja...you know, the perfect example of one...the most precious thing is the mission, or maybe the village. Out loud, anyway. But what it really comes down to...the most precious thing...to a Real Ninja, the most precious thing is himself. That's why you're not a real ninja."

Obito didn't feel stung any more...now he just felt sad. Naruto had a way with manipulating people's emotions, but he didn't think she knew that. She could take entire elements out of situations without thinking.

"...Oh."

"The thing I definitely didn't get until a minute ago is that Sasuke wasn't a real Uchiha, either," she continued, sounding torn between apathy and hysteria. "Oh, god damn it...Sasuke wasn't a real ninja either, until he left us behind. Until he left Sakura-chan...until he left me...I guess we have things to come to terms with! You're a fake ninja, and I'm an unobservant bitch! Ha ha! Fake ninja!"

He blinked, and looked over at Naruto, whose eyes were bright with some sort of temporary madness. He blushed for no reason when he noticed she had no shirt still, even though it was _Naruto; _it wasn't like she was a_ girl. _Not really. Still, the blood and bile on her ragged chest bindings made that glazed look more frightening, and he wriggled out of the remains of his jacket. He handed it over weakly. "Here."

She took it, and sat in poison-laced silence for several moments, before she handed him a small pill. "Here."

He studied the pill uncomprehendingly, noting the awkward movement of Naruto's left hand. He realized that her wrist must've been shattered and healed wrong; he scowled at himself. Why hadn't he noticed earlier? And when had her wrist been broken?

"Your wrist was broken," he pointed out unhelpfully.

"Really? I didn't know that," she replied. The strangest thing was that she sounded sincere.

He didn't really know how to respond to that, so instead, he asked, "What is this?"

"Not sure, exactly," she replied easily, reverting to her strange detached state. "I got 'em out of that guy's bindings."

"Y-you mean..."

"Yep."

Obito felt sick. "You stole them from a-"

"Stole? No, I didn't steal them. He wanted me to have 'em. And now that I think about it...they're worth lots."

He was almost afraid to ask, but he did anyway. "What...do they do?"

"You do realize they're keeping us _alive _here because of who we _are,_right," she asked, changing the subject.

"Come again?"

"We, as people, are valuable to them," she explained blankly, gesturing awkwardly with her left hand toward them both. "Not because we're actually valuable but because they have some misplaced ideas about us. They think you're valuable to the village because you're Uchiha, and they think I'm valuable to Konoha because they think I'm part of the 'Namikaze bloodline.' I guess it's true in one sense...you _are _valuable to Konoha, because of your eyes. They're not activated yet, but you still have the bloodline. When they finally figure out we aren't gonna talk, they'll kill you, scoop out your eyes, cut you up into tiny pieces, study your DNA, and get their hands on the secrets of one of Konoha's top clans."

How could she be so nonchalantly morbid at a time like this? Where was her mind right now? It was obviously not here.

"That's sick, Naruto. Stop-"

"Yeah, and you know what's better? They can't _do _anything with it. Even if they find out _all _the secrets of your clan's eyes, they won't be able to use them if they haven't been activated yet. So they'll start experimenting...like Hebi-kusotare did. They'll take in unwanted kids - war orphans, probably - and force DNA into them, and watch them, like rats in a lab!"

"Don't say stuff like that!"

"Well, it's true."

Was she...smiling? She wasn't _happy..._more like hysterical. He wanted to throw up. "Naruto...please stop."

"Ha ha, and you know what else they'll do? They'll use their little genetically engineered mutations to attack Konoha. Sasuke once told me what happens when two people with the same eyes meet each other. You know what he said? Of course you don't. He said that when two people with the same eyes meet each other, the one who wins is the one with the most _hatred. _Hatred, Obito! I didn't believe him...but then..."

"Naruto, stop!"

"The one with the most hatred _did _win, Obito, but it wasn't the man I called my brother! It wasn't the one I loved! So if the person with the most hatred wins, you can guarantee it won't be the ones you love!"

Obito fought to keep the tears from falling. He knew she was hysterical, but that didn't make any of this easier to hear. In fact...it made it worse, because she wasn't lying. He didn't know what to do; he'd never seen anyone get like this. She didn't even look like she was on the same _planet_ any more.

"That's...that's what _he _said. That's what _he _did. And he won, but he wasn't the person I knew! My brother was gone, controlled by his own eyes!"

He swallowed heavily. "Naruto, just-"

"Ha ha ha, and guess what else, Obito? You know what's gonna happen after they turn you into mincemeat? They're gonna deal with _me."_

He felt a heavy, tight feeling in his stomach. What was she trying to say?

"The only real reason they got me when they got you is because they think I'm part of the 'Namikaze bloodline.' I mean...come on. When I stand next to Minato-sensei, I look like his sister. Plus, that guy must've informed them of my 'bloodline,' what we like to call the hell I go through when I lose control! Anyway, all anyone on _this _side knows is that Minato-sensei must have a bloodline, and because we're related, they think _I _have this bloodline, too! They want it. Can you imagine? With Iwa's numbers and plenty of mindless Uchiha and Namikaze on their side - not that the last one would matter, mind you, but they don't know that -, they could practically take over the world."

"Naruto, just-"

"But they're not gonna _find _a bloodline, because I don't _have _one. They'll either kill me - slowly and painfully, of course, because I didn't give them anything valuable, not even information - or they'll use _me _as some sort of lab rat! With my healing, I'd have the best chance of surviving something like that!"

"Just-"

"And there we'll be...Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Obito, engraved in history as the two Konoha failures who made it possible for Iwa to take over the world!"

"Just _shut up,"_Obito shouted. "Shut up!"

"Why? Can't handle the truth, huh? That's the way it goes," Naruto retorted, still sounding far away and completely hysterical.

"Just stop! I can't stand it! You're not even yourself!"

He kneeled as best he could, putting his bound hands on the floor by her hips, and knocked her head with his, sharply. He may have been weak, but his head was just as hard as hers. And, if he couldn't knock some sense into her, he could at least knock himself out, so he didn't have to hear those horrible things come out of her mouth. He wished his hands _weren't_ bound, so he could punch her properly.

"Just shut _up, _Naruto. That's probably how things are _supposed _to happen, but only if we give up! Are you giving up already? I thought Uzumaki Naruto never gave up!"

She didn't say anything; instead, her eyes unfocused, as if she was thinking about something, or trying to remember something. After a moment, the life came back into her eyes and she gasped, wriggling and pushing him off to the side. He caught himself with his hands and managed to settle himself against the wall next to her. She shook a bit, and her head fell onto his shoulder again.

He nudged her side. "Hey. Naruto? Are you...there again?"

She took a deep, shuddering breath and sighed. After a few minutes of deep breathing, she said, in a more subdued tone, "I think I might've been trying to tell you that if you bite down on those pills, you'll die. If worse comes to worst, I'll stab your eyes and we can both take the pills. That way, we both die but they lose their chance at getting your bloodline."

He didn't like the steady way she said that. He hadn't liked the hysterics, either, but at least he'd known _that _wasn't true acceptance. This was war; this was ninja life. He decided to worry about wiping away the tears when he had enough energy to remember his pride.

Instead, he rested his head on top of Naruto's and whispered, "We'll get out of here."

"Yeah."

They both knew it wasn't a promise.

Ooo.ooO

After a half hour, Obito couldn't stand the silence any more. He didn't move his head, but he did shift, nudging her with his shoulder. "Naruto?"

She moved a bit, bringing her body in front of his arm and adjusting her head to lean back on his shoulder. He pressed his cheek against her forehead, finding it comforting to know that she was next to him, and more importantly, _alive. _She breathed out sharply. "What?"

"Tell me a story."

She laughed shortly. "You know you're better at telling stories than I am."

"Not about _you."_

"Huh?"

Was it just him, or did she suddenly tense up? Well, it didn't matter. He just didn't want silence. "Tell me why you _really_ decided to dress up as a boy."

To his surprise, she exhaled and shrugged. "Heh. I guess you deserve it," she answered. "I'll tell you, but don't interrupt me or I won't finish."

"O-oh...okay." He hadn't been expecting her to agree. In fact, he'd been expecting an argument...hoping for one, actually. It would've filled the silence better.

"A long time ago..."

"Naruto."

"Shut up, Obito; I'm telling you the story you asked for."

"Uh...sorry." He wasn't, really, and she probably knew it, but he said it anyway.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, a long time ago, when I was little, I didn't really...get it, why people were so angry with me. It wasn't because they knew who I was or even _what _I was, but because they thought they did. Apparently, they also thought I didn't understand human speech, because they would have conversations in front of me about things I wasn't supposed to hear. They were just lucky I was young and stupid and didn't bother to figure it out.

I heard some people talking about one once; a man said I was a 'menace,' because I was disrespectful enough to take on the appearance of 'Yondaime-sama.' I didn't really get it, of course, and I didn't know who 'Yondaime-sama' was at the time, but I figured they didn't like me because I was a girl and looked like the guy they were talking about. I didn't know what they meant by the 'Fourth.' I was only four, so it's not that strange.

Anyway, I used to like to listen to adults talk, because they said interesting things I didn't understand, but they seemed like funny people. So I was listening to a woman talking to another woman...they were sitting on the bench by the old armory, so there wasn't anyone else around. The first woman was crying, and she described what happened to her on a mission - I learned later that it was called 'rape,' but I didn't get it then. It still scared me, and I was glad I'd decided to be a boy, because I didn't realize that it could happen to anyone."

Obito really hated that Naruto was speaking so matter-of-factly, but he hated more that he wasn't being affected by Naruto's words like he usually would. He didn't want to lose his humanity.

But he found himself asking calmly, "So...how did you get the Hokage to agree to it?"

"Well...I hadn't really told anyone. I was five when I heard that woman's horror story, and I went running to Hokage-jijii's office, totally freaking out. When he heard, he got this horribly sad look on his face and asked me if I knew what I was talking about. Of course I didn't, but I eventually got him to agree to let me pretend to be a boy. I think he was hoping I'd back out of it, but I never did. It was easy for me. And until I was about eleven, I really thought I'd be safe from predatory enemies. But then I found out that it can happen to guys too...but I didn't want to just randomly switch back to being a girl."

He found himself nodding, accepting her tale, even though he kind of wanted to scream. Maybe when he had enough energy to care...

For now, he just wanted to stay by Naruto, and keep his cheek on her forehead, because it assured him that he wasn't all alone behind enemy lines.

If (he couldn't quite bring himself to think 'when') he got out, he'd definitely tell Rin-chan he loved her. Naruto had been right; life was short, too short. Especially for a ninja in a time of war.


	17. The Most Precious Thing

I'm not sure I'm satisfied with how this turned out. Well, let me rephrase that. I wouldn't have posted this unless I was satisfied, but I'm not sure I LIKE it. Which is something different entirely. It closely matches my vision for this chapter, but it didn't quite get there. Ah, well. I might go back and revise it when I'm finished with this story. This is the second to last chapter, besides the epilogue. Of course, I will be writing a sequel, so don't worry. You'll be able to see how this all works, as well as see some romance! They're all fourteen and under, so...they're not really READY for long-term RELATIONSHIPS. To quote Jason Mraz, "It takes no time to fall in love, but it takes you years to know what love is."

On another, completely unrelated note, I'm absolutely in love with a new song. We'll probably have a steamy, intimate relationship, consisting of music, dancing, and spending lots of time every day with each other, before I succumb to my flighty nature and move on to something else. It's from "Rocky Horror Picture Show," and it's called "Time Warp."

(No, the SONG isn't new, but it's a new LOVE.) Go listen, or even better, see the film. Memorize the lyrics. Learn the dance. Call Janet a whore and Brad an asshole. Throw Scott brand toilet paper. Or just give me a disbelieving look...yes, I'm talking to you. You know you're doing it, whether or not you're a cultist too. Lol.

* * *

"I found them," Shikaku said quietly. "Or at least, I found where they're supposed to be. We only have three days left before we have to report back to Hokage-sama, but they're not far from here. We can get to them within eight hours if we don't stop." 

Rin's head jerked up sharply, and she blinked rapidly. She was mentally exhausted and physically drained, but they could maybe _find _Naruto and Obito. This could be the day her teammates were rescued. She couldn't sleep now, not when they were so close!

"We need to rest for a couple of hours," Minato-sensei said quietly. "There are a few of us who need sleep, badly."

Rin frowned. How could he even suggest such a thing at a time like this? "But Minato-sensei..."

"We will all be useless if we don't rest," he said flatly. "We are all going to rest; especially _you. _That's an order."

She sagged, feeling ridiculously small and fighting off a feeling that was probably tears trying to surface. It was very hard to concentrate on anything except Naruto; her teammate had always said she stuck to her promises. Would she be able to keep all her promises in this situation?

Rin hoped so. Both Naruto _and _Obito were permanent fixtures in her life, now; she didn't think she would be able to function properly for a long time if she lost them. She finally understood what Kakashi-kun had been talking about when he'd said bonds were hindering; what he'd _meant _was that they _hurt. _She wouldn't want to give them up for anything, but...she could definitely understand how he felt now.

"I...understand, Minato-sensei."

Kushina-san took Rin's hand and squeezed. "I'm worried about her too," she whispered. "But Naruto-neechan's strong."

Rin smiled weakly in Kushina-san's direction. Though Kushina-san was getting close to Naruto, Rin didn't think Kushina-san really understood.

Then again, Rin didn't understand it herself.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

Minato woke quietly, sat up, and watched his fiancée leaning against a tree with her arms wrapped comfortingly around his student and felt something jerk in his chest. This was Kushina, the love of his life. It was strange to have the thought in the middle of such a crisis, but he realized that he wanted to see Kushina hold a baby of their own in her arms.

He frowned and averted his eyes. Naruto, he could admit, was definitely more than just his student. She wasn't a baby...but she _was _his daughter, in a sort of crazy, surreal sense. He hadn't wanted to stop here, either, but he _was _a practical man. He refused to continue without catching up on lost rest.

"I'm taking over watch, Inoichi," he whispered. "Get some rest while you can."

Inoichi nodded and scooted over, lying down with his head on his pack. Minato made sure Inoichi was sleeping before turning his attention back on his fiancée. Her mouth was slightly open, and her breathing was slightly shallow. Her face was nestled in Rin's hair, and Rin was clutching the front of her shirt, which looked slightly wet. He sighed.

His students were a family. It wasn't something often achieved; teammates became friends, and even dated, but _his_ students affected each other in _different _ways. His students had made an unspoken pact; they'd always be there for each other. Rin was suffering because she didn't know where her _family _was. It wasn't good.

He let his eyes travel over the rest of the group. Shikaku and Chouza were sleeping side by side, facing away from each other. The Ino-Shika-Chou trio were another example of family, though they weren't exactly like his team. They were close. Perhaps, he thought, he could get some advice from their sensei. How does one deal with a team closer to each other than to their families?

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

They hadn't come for her in a couple of days. Naruto hadn't moved very much, except to eat or drink. They'd stopped bothering to look at their food; for whatever reason, they wanted to keep Obito drugged; they'd decided he would fake sleep if they were checked on, and they would pour his water in the waste bucket in the corner. Prisoners weren't really _expected_ to eat, but they had pretended, anyway.

Naruto had slipped her wrists out of her cuffs four days ago; it had testified of the truth of her changes. She didn't want to think about how skinny she looked, and Obito…well, she didn't like looking at him any more, and hadn't liked it since the drugs had first taken effect.

Obito's now-armless jacket covered her shoulders and chest, but left her back bare. She didn't care; at night, she could curl her legs up to her chest and rest her head on them, and she could pretend she was just camping out with her team. It was a stupid practice, but she just couldn't let go. It was one of the things keeping her sane.

His cheek was still pressed against her forehead. She'd taken to curling her legs up to her chin, pressing into his side and clutching at his shirt like a lifeline - after she'd found out the method to their madness, she'd been even more terrified for both of their lives.

They'd noticed her rapid healing, obviously. With those needles in her back, they must've collected blood; and with that blood, they must've been running tests, too see why the sedatives they'd originally given her hadn't worked very well. They wanted to find out just how far her healing abilities went, and find clues in her DNA...she hadn't noticed before, but they had a pattern. It wasn't torture; it was experimentation. She wasn't sure why torture sounded preferable, but it did.

She still wasn't sure why they'd drugged Obito, but maybe they were running different tests on him while she was out of the room. Maybe that was why they hadn't come for her lately? Obito wasn't sleeping, so they couldn't run tests on him?

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you won't die here."

She shook her head. "Only if you do."

This was a daily conversation; and it always ended the same.

_"You know I can't."_

_"Then you know my answer."_

But today...

"I promise I won't."

She jerked her head up sharply, glancing at his face for the first time in a week. It was pale and drawn, but there was a slight smile on his lips.

"How can you promise that?"

He slipped his hands out of his cuffs. "It's been nearly a month. I'm finally skinny enough."

She looked at his closest hand, the left hand, which was finally free from the steel and strange material. It _was _skinny, and kind of gross looking. She took it and brought it closer to her face, for further inspection.

"What are you doing?"

She traced the lines on his palm, watching in fascination as his fingers twitched. She didn't answer directly; instead, she asked, "You're real, right?"

"Yes."

"Then...I promise that as long as you stay alive, I won't take the pill."

"Good."

She grasped his hand and laced his fingers with hers. "What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know. But now that the cuffs are off, they won't be able to keep us in the room. I've seen this kind before; if we crossed that line with them on, we'd be shocked. I'll have to put them back on soon, just like you, but for now, we can think of a plan."

"...Yeah."

There wasn't much brightness in this dark cell, but for now, she'd take what she could get. For now, she'd be glad they had some hope.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

"All right, listen up. I need two people to accompany me inside. Three of us will need to stay outside, and signal danger. We're lucky their prison is on the border, right by Kusa. We can't use signal radios here, so we're going to need something else." Minato-sensei clapped his hands, like he always did when he was giving them important information.

"I should be on watch," Inoichi said firmly. "I can send a guard in to warn you."

Rin was confused, but Minato-sensei seemed to understand, because he nodded sharply. "That's a good point. All right...you, Shikaku, and Chouza will be our watch. We need a password."

"Ichiraku," Rin blurted, before she could stop herself. It was Naruto's and Obito's favorite place to eat, and not something any outsider would guess.

Inoichi and Shikaku frowned confusedly, but Chouza seemed to understand. "That's perfect."

"Ichiraku it is, then," Minato-sensei replied quietly. "Rin, Kushina, you two will accompany me inside, where we will _sneak _to their cell. We want to avoid fighting, understand?"

Rin and Kushina-san nodded swiftly. Rin didn't want to fight anyone; she just wanted to rescue her teammates. "Understood."

"Then we'll separate here. Inoichi, Chouza, Shikaku, follow quietly. Don't acknowledge that you know us. Rin, Kushina, we can't be recognized. Use henge, and any low-chakra level genjutsu you've mastered to change your appearances. Any questions?"

Nobody said anything.

"Then here we go."

Rin could only trust in her team, now.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

She hadn't let go of his hand, even though they both knew it would be safer for both of them to pretend to wear the cuffs again.

"Obito?"

"Mm?"

"If I ask you for a favor, will you do it?"

He shifted slightly, and her hair got ruffled by his cheek. "Depends on what it is."

"When we get back to Konoha, mentor your cousin. Even if it's in secret, or whatever, please just...be a good example. Itachi needs guidance, I think, from someone who isn't a complete psychopath."

"Like my uncle?"

"He's a psychopath, all right. I've met him, and I wish I hadn't. Please...will you do that?"

"Well, sure, but...why?"

She adjusted her grip on his hand, still refusing to let go. "He just needs you."

It hurt her hand, but she knew he didn't _really _want her to let go, either.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

For such a high-security prison, surveillance was pretty poor. Kushina was grateful for that. She hadn't wanted to fight her way through lines of guards; not that she didn't want to tear the bastards apart, but she knew that could wait until Naruto-neechan and Obito were safe. She followed Minato and Rin silently, moving lightly on her feet.

From the map left on the table in the shift-change room, they had been able to determine where the kids would be, and they were headed toward them now. Rin was increasingly tense, and Kushina felt the beginnings of worry for the girl; something else must've been wrong, because although Rin was tenser by the minute, she wasn't quite as aware of her surroundings as she'd previously been.

Rin grimaced when they came upon the right cell; cell seven. They didn't have keys, but that was okay; they were ninja. Picking locks was an academy lesson. As long as they could see the lock, they could get it open with a kunai.

They dropped their henge, and Rin grasped the handle.

**I'm just a line break...don't mind me!**

The door opened inward, and Obito tensed. Naruto was asleep on his shoulder, his hand crushed in her grip. How she could stay so strong while he felt so weak was beyond him, but he couldn't pry her hand off. He hoped no one would notice the absence of cuffs on his arms.

A pair of slightly familiar eyes caught his. Where had he seen those before? Naruto's head popped up as two more people entered the cell. He thought he might recognize their eyes, but he wasn't sure. It seemed like much longer than a month since they'd been thrown into their cell.

"What the hell," Naruto groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm hallucinating. Make it stop."

"What do you mean," he whispered, keeping an eye on the three strangers who could be familiar. "I see them too."

"But it can't be real, because that would mean Rin's right in front of us. And Rin's never looked like that before."

He studied the girl in front of them, noting the shocked expression in her eyes and the wetness that had to be tears. For some weird reason, the girl was trying not to cry. Naruto was right; it couldn't be Rin-chan. Rin-chan never looked so strange…whatever that look was.

"Naruto, Obito," the man said gently, quietly. "We're here to take you home." He moved toward them, like someone approaching a rabid dog or a spooked horse. "Do you know who I am?"

Obito thought that the man kind of looked like Minato-sensei, but Minato-sensei had whisker marks, right? Or was that only Naruto? Things just sort of blended together in his mind; he hadn't eaten enough lately, hadn't had enough water, and had slept way too much. His mind and his memory were muddy.

"Konoha nin," he guessed. "I can see your forehead protectors."

The girl in front of him choked. "Obito...it's me. Rin."

He frowned slightly, glancing down at Naruto, whose eyes were shut tight. She was shaking her head at something.

"Are you sure? You don't _look _like Rin-chan."

She pointed to the blond. "What about that person? Do you recognize him?"

"Yeah, but why would you try to look like people we know? Why can't you just be yourselves? I don't understand."

Naruto tightened her grip on his hand, crushing it painfully, and looked at the three intruders. "Prove it. Prove you're my family. Prove you're my friends."

Nobody spoke for a moment. Then, the Rin-chan look-alike dropped to her knees in front of them and hugged them both around their necks. He caught her scent - the scent completely unique to Rin-chan. "Don't be stupid," she whispered thickly. "How can I prove I'm who I am? I'm just _me."_

"Rin-chan," he asked, bewildered. "But how are you Rin-chan? And how are you here?"

The third person entered the room, looking anxious and grim. It looked like Minato-sensei's fiancée, Kushina-san...but...

"What's taking so long," the woman asked bluntly. "We have to get out! I just had to take care of two guards, and I'm sure there will be more soon!"

Was it really them?

"Of course it's us," the woman replied. He must've said that out loud.

"We'll just have to carry them," the man who was possibly Minato-sensei said worriedly. He took in their thin appearances and their tightly clasped hands, and sighed. "Listen...you'll just have to trust us for now. We're going to take you somewhere safe, okay? Don't worry. We can sort out who we are when we get back to Konoha."

Naruto scowled, but said nothing. He wondered why she had such a hard time trusting these people; it wasn't as if he completely believed them, either, but they were going to take them somewhere _other _than here. That had to be a good thing, right?

"Okay," he heard himself say. He gripped Naruto's hand a little tighter.

'Rin-chan' helped pull them to their feet. She grasped Naruto's left hand firmly, and 'Kushina-san' helped him walk. He still refused to let go of Naruto's right hand, but they didn't seem to want him to let go, so it was okay.

'Minato-sensei' led the way out of the cell. He formed the ram seal and performed henge; 'Kushina-san' followed suit. 'Rin-chan' bit her lip and let go Naruto's hand for a moment, changing her appearance, before clutching it tightly again. Obito noticed they all had different clothing on; they looked like standard Iwa jounin. Their forehead protectors were taken off and stuffed into pouches.

"C'mon, Naruto," 'Rin-chan' whispered quietly. "We're not gonna hurt you. Let's go."

"Just don't hurt _him," _Naruto replied, squeezing his hand. "If you do, I'll tear you apart."

"Nobody's going to be hurting either of you. We need to hurry."

Naruto's feet _finally _started moving, and 'Kushina-san' breathed out a sigh. He glanced at her, and noticed that she had extremely wide eyes, like she was holding back tears.

"It'll be okay," he heard himself say aloud. It wasn't really directed toward anyone, so he wasn't surprised when nobody responded.

He heard noises, and 'Minato-sensei' tensed. He held up a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. Obito felt the hands around his tighten almost painfully.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

It was a testament to Naruto's and Obito's weakness that Minato sensed the approaching Iwa-nin before Obito did. The Uchiha bloodline came with more than just a doujutsu; 'the eighth sense,' as it was sometimes called, was programmed into every Uchiha's body, naturally. Minato had, in the past, shaken his head at the stupidity sometimes shown by the feared ninja clan; Obito, despite having late-blooming eyes, was naturally, and intensely, sensitive.

But he didn't think on that now, because neither Naruto nor Obito were not in any condition to defend themselves, were not supposed to be out of their cell, and were not able to run. They (Minato, Kushina, and Rin) might've been able to pass themselves off as Iwa jounin if they were lucky, but in case they weren't, they'd have to take on six jounin, plus anyone else who heard; all the while protecting two weak and injured ninja.

_Not_a good situation.

He held up his left hand, the sign for _six _forming briefly. Then, he straightened, put on a stern face, and led the group down the hall toward the group. It was a gamble, but running would turn out even worse than if this trick failed.

"Halt," the brunette kunoichi commanded, narrowing her brown eyes at the group. "The prisoners are not to leave cell seven until Hiro-taichou calls for them. What do you think you are doing?" She lifted an eyebrow at Kushina. "Hana, what are you doing?"

Kushina shrugged, looking bored. "Escorting them, of course."

This time, it was the blonde kunoichi who asked, "Why?"

"Because Tsuchikage-sama himself called for them."

"Actually, Ami-chan, I thought I heard Sasuke-kun saying-"

Naruto's growl stopped short whatever the tall brunette kunoichi was going to say. Her eyes were wild-looking.

"Don't call that _bastard_ Sasuke's name," she said darkly. It was the most responsive she'd been since they'd entered the cell. "I'll kill you!"

"Calm down, prisoner," Kushina said sternly. "Or we'll sedate you."

Naruto didn't pay attention to Kushina's warning; her focus was solely on the two kunoichi in front of them. "Do you understand me?"

"The impostor's right," the blonde – Ami – said coolly, and that seemed to be the attack signal. The four shinobi moved toward Kushina, Naruto, Obito, and Rin. The kunoichi, who seemed to be more experienced, moved to engage him personally.

The kunoichi _were _good. He knew he couldn't drop his henge, which was very distressing; he needed to conserve his chakra. But he couldn't risk the enemy nin alerting people to his presence; it would cause too much chaos. The blonde was amazingly strong; not as strong as Tsunade-hime, but when he blocked her punch to his face, he just barely held her off. The brunette seemed to be a genjutsu specialist; the first things she did were form a ram seal and focus her chakra. Luckily, he recognized the subtle shift in chakra before she actually set the genjutsu; he broke her concentration with a sharp and violent kunai jab to the throat. She dropped quickly, gasping and clutching her destroyed windpipe, before fading out completely.

"Sakura," Ami shouted, before narrowing her eyes and attacking him with a flurry of blows which _would _have been devastating, had he not blocked or dodged. A lucky punch got him in the stomach, and he jumped back, analyzing the new situation.

This hallway was way too small to fight properly; he could tell that the Iwa-nin were avoiding using their full strength. This _was _a prison, and he was sure they didn't want the walls to crack. He…could use this to their advantage, if he could get the rest of the group to safety before he ended this.

"Get out of here," he ordered. Glancing back briefly, he cursed silently. Together, Kushina and Rin should've been able to defeat the Iwa shinobi, but they also had Naruto and Obito to worry about. They were barely able to hold off the two they hadn't taken care of already.

"Don't look away from your opponent," his blonde enemy shouted mockingly, coming down from a high jump in position for an axe-kick. In the nick of time, he shifted to the left, catching her heel with the palm of his right hand and using her momentum to flip her. He was very lucky that kicks from the air didn't hit with as much strength.

She bounced back immediately, but not before he caught her in the throat with a kunai. She went down like her brunette teammate, frosty eyes incredibly wide. A glance at Kushina and Rin told him that he had just a few seconds before something bad happened.

A kawarimi on an Iwa-nin's part put Kushina in the way of a barrage of senbon; fortunately, Kushina was quick to use kawarimi herself. Unfortunately, at that moment, one of the downed Iwa-nin snapped his eyes open, grabbed her ankle, and threw her harshly against the wall. She crumbled, but Minato couldn't go to her _or _Rin; three more Iwa-nin rounded the corner and engaged him. He couldn't use Hiraishin in here, or he'd run the risk of hurting his own team.

Then, there was fire.

He heard a cry of surprise from Rin, and a cry of distress from someone else, but he couldn't take his eyes off his new opponents.

This was _bad._

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Obito watched helplessly as Rin-chan and Kushina-san fought the four enemy shinobi. He _knew _it was really Rin-chan now, because it was obvious now; besides the fact that she'd dropped her henge in order to conserve chakra, it was her fighting style, her chakra (it had taken him a while, but he could feel it now), and she was fighting jounin from Iwa.

He wanted to help, he really did, but he had completely frozen; and somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice which sounded a lot like Rin-chan's 'healer voice' reminded him that his body was too weak to do much, and he'd be more of a hindrance than a help.

He looked to his left, and noticed that Naruto was in a similar condition, but he didn't think she was scared of the Iwa-nin at all; she was just _frozen. _Her eyes were wide and trained on Kushina-san, who'd just been thrown against the wall by one of the 'unconscious' shinobi Kushina-san had defeated earlier.

Then, the shinobi disappeared.

_Come on, _another voice in his head – which reminded him of Naruto – commanded. _You have to do _something; _that shinobi is going to hurt Rin-chan!_

He felt something swell up in his chest, a feeling he didn't like at all, and a heavy, stinging sensation behind his eyes, but he closed them against the feeling; he didn't want to cry any more. He _knew_he couldn't do anything…he was useless in this situation…but_damn it, _Rin-chan was in trouble!

Maybe he could at least use Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu; after all, he _was_ weak, but his chakra wasn't _drained, _and that was the weakest fire technique. It might not work…and he might die…but at least it would _distract _the invisible enemy, right? He felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of adrenaline, and opened his eyes. Rin-chan needed help.

The enemy nin had dropped the technique, so he knew exactly where to aim. He shoved Rin-chan as hard as he could, promising himself he'd apologize as soon as he could for maybe hurting her. She cried out in surprise. Concentrating on the seals which _should _have been second nature, but were hard to remember right now, he took a deep breath.

The fireball was much bigger than he'd expected it to be, and he was grateful for that adrenaline surge he figured must be what Naruto had said happened when protecting what was most precious to you.

It had definitely caught the enemy off-guard, as well as the shinobi directly behind him, but he didn't have time to be glad they were dead and couldn't get to Rin-chan; his vision suddenly went hazy, and he dropped to the ground. Darkness was quickly overtaking him; he had pushed himself past the limit, after all. It didn't matter how much _energy _he had; his body couldn't take the strain right now. Something flew over him, but he couldn't see it.

Rin-chan was maybe trying to tell him something, about his eyes – he was probably crying by now, so it wasn't that surprising –, but he couldn't really hear her over the sound of his own heart, which sounded like it was cracking as well as beating for some reason. Then, there was nothing.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

As soon as Obito moved, Naruto was snapped out of her trance. He was the only thing she was fairly sure about; or at least, he was more real to her than their three rescuers. She hadn't been able to take her eyes off the woman who looked exactly like Kushina-neechan; the connection was there, and Naruto's brain had shut off everything else, trying to figure out if these people were _actually_ the three people she saw as family.

But Obito moved, and Naruto didn't care about anything else right then. His red eyes each held two tomoe, and Naruto's mind supplied the word _Sharingan, _but she wasn't sure – and didn't really care – why. All she knew was that he shouldn't have been able to make that fireball, and that he'd been shaking since he moved. When he hit the floor, 'Rin' whispered, "Obito…your eyes!" And then, she'd cursed.

Naruto knew why.

As soon as Obito fell, 'Minato-sensei' threw his last opponent toward the wall by Obito's unconscious body. The shinobi retaliated by flipping in midair and pushing off the wall with his feet, summoning an unusually heavy chigiriki from a scroll, and – instead of swinging it at him or even _chucking _it at him – swung it upward at the ceiling. Naruto saw the reason as soon as the ninja hit the ground with a smile on his face; he would've died anyway. Several kunai slashes in vital places would do that to a person.

The ceiling cracked and started to collapse. 'Kushina-san' was unconscious against the wall, away from the cracking ceiling; 'Minato-sensei' was farther away than _she _was; and 'Rin' had been shoved roughly to the side by Obito, who was facedown on the ground.

_Damn it…_

Then, for the third time in her life, Naruto reacted without her own permission. She wasn't fast enough to reach him, but apparently, her body had a different idea.

A stupid one, but what did that matter? There was only darkness.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

_No._

Naruto had _traded places _with Obito, just in time to get hit by pieces of the ceiling. Why had she done that? Actually, Rin knew why, but that didn't make it any easier to handle.

Rin's chest and eyes felt incredibly heavy, and it wasn't just exhaustion. Minato-sensei had picked up Kushina-san, and given her to Rin, instructing them to get to safety. Rin had wanted to refuse, but she'd known she was only going to be a burden at that point, so she'd followed his orders. Less than twenty seconds later, he'd rushed out of the prison, both Naruto and Obito slung over each of his shoulders.

Obito was unconscious, and totally drained, but he would make it. Three of Kushina-san's ribs had broken, but thankfully, nothing had been punctured inside; instead, her unconscious state had come from the impact her head had made on the wall. Naruto, however…

Well, Naruto's healing would have assured her a speedier recovery than Kushina-san's, but the new seal had cut off the demonic chakra. While she definitely healed faster than everyone else, that wasn't going to make a difference when her head had been hit forcefully and her lungs had been crushed. Minato-sensei was speedily removing the seal…Rin just hoped it would be enough to save Naruto, or at least bring her to a somewhat stable state, so healers could do the rest.

Rin's eyes widened as she felt a burst of energy, and Naruto's entire body was surrounded by red, menacing chakra. She held her breath.

But then, as soon as it had started, it stopped – and Naruto coughed, dry heaved, coughed, convulsed, coughed again, and settled back into her unmoving unconsciousness. She rushed to Naruto's side, and even though Rin was drained, exhausted, and incredibly freaked out, she managed to do a rudimentary scan of Naruto's internal organs.

The only definite conclusion she could draw was that Naruto would need a healer, one much more experienced than Rin. She half-collapsed, just barely managing to keep herself from landing on Naruto's stomach, and closed her eyes in relief; Naruto would probably be okay, as long as they got her back to Konoha very quickly.

They were lucky that Hokage-sama had sent the Ino-Shika-Chou trio; without them, they wouldn't be able to make it home in time.

"You'd better live, Naruto," she murmured. "You still have things to do."

She refused to say anything about Naruto's promise to her Sakura-chan about Sasuke; for some reason, it hurt to think about the Uchiha who had broken Naruto's heart.

Instead, she added, "You still have to become Hokage."

It hurt _more_ when Naruto did exactly as Rin expected, and didn't respond.


	18. To Grow and Change

This is the last full chapter, everybody. There's an epilogue, which I will post immediately after this, but after that, "Cause and Effect" is officially complete. Thanks, everyone, for sticking with me, and I hope you'll stick around for the sequel. If not...well, it was nice to get your reviews. They really made me smile. But, if you do decide to stay with me, I've already got the plot written out...so it'll be coming soon!

There's an OC in this chapter, but he's only there because I needed a medic-nin. He's a coworker of Rin's, since she's an intern and he's a registered medic, so they're sort of friends, but don't worry; he won't be paired with any canon characters, if I even decide to bring him back at all. Basically, he's just there to be a handy plot device!

* * *

His eyes opened slowly, but he couldn't really see. His body felt very heavy, and everything was covered in such a thick haze he couldn't make anything out. He didn't even have the strength to move his arms. 

"Obito?"

That was a familiar voice, but he couldn't place who it belonged to. He made a sort of groaning noise in response. Or maybe he didn't; he couldn't tell.

The room slowly came into focus, and he saw a face above his. It was someone he definitely knew…but who was it?

He blinked. It was Rin-chan! How had he not placed her? And…where was he? Was he dreaming? He hoped not. If Rin-chan was here, that meant the rescue had happened after all, and Rin-chan was okay!

He remembered that he needed to apologize, but he couldn't speak.

"Don't try to talk," she admonished gently, smiling softly at him. That smile was so beautiful…

"You've been out for four days. You really did something stupid this time…pushing your body like that! It's a wonder you didn't die! But…you saved me. I know you can't talk, so you can't answer, but…thank you. And I'm _so_ glad you're okay."

He wanted to tell her everything would be okay. "…Is-n…"

Apparently, his mouth couldn't even form the words, "It's no problem."

Rin-chan's eyes darkened, and her smile turned into a frown again. "I told you not to talk," she said quietly. "And…she's…"

Who was what? What was Rin-chan talking about?

"She…saved you," she whispered. "You couldn't move, and…and now…"

Was she…was Rin-chan talking about Naruto? If so, then…Naruto had saved him…? From what? And why was Rin-chan so sad?

Naruto wasn't _dead…_was she? She couldn't be! It was impossible!

"Hey, calm down," Rin-chan said, trying to soothe him. "You can't do anything right now. Nobody can…" He saw a tear slip down her cheek. Rin-chan was so sad…

"She's still unconscious. We got her to the healers as fast as possible…but something's wrong…everybody's so worried about the two of you. Even Kakashi-kun hasn't left the room since we got back. You can't see him, but he's sleeping on the chair at the end of your bed."

He kind of wanted to laugh at the strangeness of Rin-chan's revelation, but he couldn't really do it. At least the feeling was coming back into his limbs; he had just subconsciously flexed his fingers to stretch his wrists, which were seriously hurting.

"Don't laugh, either," she lectured sternly. "I'm trying to stimulate your body; don't make it harder by pushing yourself!"

That…sounded very embarrassing, coming from Rin-chan, but he couldn't feel heat in his face. For once, he was glad his body wasn't yet working properly. He wanted to tell Rin-chan he loved her with words, not with a blush!

"I'm really worried about her," Rin-chan confided softly. "It was horrible…to see her like that…about to die...when you can talk again, you have to promise me you'll watch out for her, okay? She's always doing stupid things…"

Another tear ran down her cheek.

Presently, he could feel her hands on his chest, circulating his chakra for him. The light was shining through the window, hitting the upper half of her face and reflecting in her eyes. They were sad, but they were still beautiful. Since she was really the only thing he could see right now, it was easier to study her without getting embarrassed.

After a few minutes, he could move, albeit with a little difficulty, his limbs. She had stopped pushing her chakra through his body, now that he was functioning properly; not that she'd _had _to do it before, but she'd wanted to do it anyway, to jumpstart his 'therapy.'

To _help _him.

With Rin-chan's help, he sat up against a mound of pillows she placed behind him. Now that he was able to properly take in the room, he saw that Rin-chan had been telling the truth about Kakashi. Not that he'd thought she was _lying; _he just hadn't really thought about it. Why was he here? Obito had been under the impression that Kakashi didn't care about any of them.

Naruto was lying on the other bed in the room. He couldn't see her, because there was a curtain surrounding her bed, but when Rin-chan saw him looking, she sighed sadly. "She looks much better now, but she hasn't woken up."

"Uh…"

"I told you not to talk yet!" She looked at his face, and sighed. "Just wait for a few minutes. This room's healer should be coming round any minute; the staff is alerted whenever there's an irregularity in a patient's stats. They should have seen that you woke up, especially since you panicked when I told you about…Naruto…and…um, well, they have a lot to do, and since I'm here and I'm a junior healer, they can attend to the patients that have it worse. The healer will look you over and tell you whether you're allowed to, you know, talk and eat by yourself."

His disgruntlement must've showed on his face, because she laughed quietly. "You're one of the lucky ones. But at least the war has turned in our favor."

"Damn right," a male voice said from the doorway. Obito saw that the new person was a medic nin who, despite his short stature, was obviously much older than them. He flicked a stray strand of light brown hair out of his grey eyes. "Thanks, Rin-kun, for looking after him until I could get here."

"It was no problem, Akira-senpai," Rin-chan replied. "I think he's getting impatient; can you run a scan and give us your professional opinion, please? I'm not authorized to look into either case."

"Of course; anything for my favorite intern!" He smiled charmingly at her, and then looked at Obito with an appraising eye. "I'll have to ask you to move, though," he added. "I have to stand in the space you are occupying."

Obito knew that this Akira person wasn't flirting with Rin-chan; he could tell the dynamic was that of an older brother and younger sister; but he still didn't really like the interaction anyway. So, he was jealous. Nobody could blame _him! _It was _Rin-chan, _after all.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry," Rin-chan apologized, bowing hastily, and scurried over to stand by the drawn curtain around Naruto's bed.

"It's no problem," the medic said. "Now, let's get this over with, shall we?"

Obito couldn't help but notice that Akira had great bedside manners, and put Obito at ease, even if he _was _feeling a bit jealous of the easy conversation between the two healers. Akira held his hands over Obito's heart, not quite touching the skin. He frowned, and then held one over his stomach and one over his forehead. Obito watched Akira's eyes anxiously.

"Shouldn't be this responsive," he muttered, shooting a suspicious glance at Rin-chan, who looked back, unembarrassed.

"I'm not authorized to clear anyone, but that doesn't mean I can't help my _friend."_

"A loophole you exploited beautifully, Rin-kun," Akira replied easily, a hint of exasperation mixed in with his fond tone. "Just like a true ninja should."

"Thank you, senpai."

"It's no problem. You're worried about nothing, by the way. Obito-san is authorized to speak, though you might have to help him with other things." He glanced at Obito's face which, unfortunately, was able to turn red again. Smiling, he added, "I don't think he'll mind _that _much."

Obito gave the medic a dark look.

"At any rate, I need to complete my rounds," Akira continued, unaffected by the glare. "Obito-san, if you don't want to see your teammate's condition, say something now, so I can draw your curtains."

Obito shook his head slowly. "Sokay."

Akira opened the curtains – too slowly, in Obito's opinion –, revealing Naruto's still form. She didn't _look _too bad; she was not covered in blood, nor was she bruised. But there was something scary about her unnatural paleness, and how she was _too_still…her chest was barely rising and falling. Her mouth had fallen into a very stern line.

The medic held his hands over Naruto's chest this time; Obito couldn't see his face, but he could tell the medic was pleased with what he was seeing. He moved his hands to her stomach and forehead, and then back to her chest. After a moment, he wrote something down on the clipboard on the wall by Naruto's bed and faced Rin-chan. "I know it'll be especially hard for you, but it would be a beneficial experience to your training if you could feel her condition. Are you willing, Rin-kun?"

"Um…" Rin-chan looked troubled, but she nodded. "Uh…I'll do it. She's okay, right?"

"See for yourself," he replied, but there was a small smile on his face.

Rin-chan hurried to Naruto's side and held her hands over Naruto's heart. He saw the familiar glow of healing chakra around her hands, and watched as she gasped. "She's…"

"Go a little farther," Akira urged.

Rin-chan moved her hands to Naruto's forehead and let out a cry of pleased surprise. "It's really…"

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "If you stay here, you'll see it."

Obito didn't have a clue what they were talking about; but if Rin-chan stayed here, he certainly didn't mind. And if Naruto would be okay…well, that was more than fine with him. He hoped she'd wake up soon, anyway; he'd only been awake for a while, but already it was too quiet here without her.

Rin-chan nodded happily and dragged a chair over to sit by Obito's bed. "Thank you, senpai!"

"Anything for my favorite intern," he repeated, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Be good, okay?"

"Of course," Rin-chan replied. "I always am!"

He snorted. "Except when you're not. Anyway, I'm going to finish my rounds. Perhaps I'll come back later, when my shift finishes. Goodbye, for now."

Akira left, and Obito suddenly got hit with a hug. A hug from Rin-chan! His eyes widened, but before he could do anything, Rin-chan drew away and jumped up. "We have to tell Kakashi-kun about this!"

Obito didn't really want Kakashi to wake up right now, but Rin-chan was already shaking their teammate. "Wake up, Kakashi-kun! It's important!"

Kakashi awoke in a rather amusing manner. Although he hadn't been snoring before, he snorted, started, and jumped up, hands held in a position which would've been better defense if he actually _had _kunai. He glanced around the room, noticed Rin-chan, and relaxed _visibly,_ before his eyes landed on Obito and widened hugely. "Obito?"

Obito watched him suspiciously. "…What?"

Kakashi sat back down, looking a little lost. It was disconcerting, and…well, _weird. _

"Kakashi-kun," Rin-chan said gently, "this is what I wanted to tell you. Or at least, part of it. Obito woke up, and…Naruto…"

"What?"

"Naruto's stable! She's…well, I'm not sure _when, _but she's going to wake up soon! Probably within the next two days."

"Oh…uh…good."

Kakashi looked distinctly uncomfortable, but the strange thing was that it seemed like he just didn't know what to _do _with himself. Obito took pity on him, for once, and decided not to comment.

"Yes, it is," Rin-chan replied quietly. "Obito just barely woke up, but he's cleared to talk, so you can…uh…talk, if you want."

Kakashi nodded, and Rin-chan dragged her chair over to Naruto's bedside. Kakashi moved his chair to sit next to Obito's bed.

"What," Obito asked somewhat nervously.

"I…uh…what…why did you say what you said," Kakashi asked, looking more lost than ever.

"When," Obito replied, confused.

"When you…before you went after Rin."

Obito frowned. "I don't remember that. What did I say?"

"You said that you thought…my father was a hero. Why did you say that?" His tone sharpened. "Why?"

Ah…he didn't remember saying it, but he _did _remember thinking it.

"I think it," he replied. "And you can't just pretend you don't care. It's obvious you do."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you wouldn't act like that if you didn't. If it didn't affect you, you wouldn't try so hard to be the opposite of who he was. I might not be the best in my clan, or the best ninja in Konoha, but I'm not _stupid. _I have _eyes, _even if they're not the same ones as my family."

Kakashi frowned. "I'm _not _the opposite. I'm my own person."

"Obviously," Obito answered, more than a little confused about the whole situation. "Everybody is. That doesn't mean you're actually _being _your own person. What you're _being _is _stupid._You know what you need? You need a good ass-kicking. You need the stupid beat out of you."

"Says the idiot who can't get out of bed," Kakashi retorted easily, before widening his eyes.

Had…Kakashi just cracked a _joke? _He looked just as surprised as Obito felt. Weird. "Uh…um…huh."

Nothing else was said, but Obito could tell that _something _had changed. Presently, Rin-chan scooted her chair back to his bedside and sat down, staring at Naruto, before gasping slightly and facing Obito. "About your eyes…"

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

It was too bad about cell seven. Being an outsider, and an analyzer by nature, Akira noticed things that no one else did, even Namikaze-san. He was too involved, as well; he and Kushina-san considered Naruto-san family. Akira could see the big picture, and was a little saddened by what he saw.

Naruto-san was definitely loved by both her teammates, in different ways for different reasons; Rin-kun was unsure about everything; and Obito-san was in for lots of heartbreak, unless something miraculous happened, like, within the next twelve hours.

Kakashi-san was a wild card; really, no one knew anything about him, and it was an even sadder dynamic. Akira noticed all of these things – he _had_ to, since he was a medic – but said nothing. It wasn't his place, and anyway, his opinion wouldn't be understood _or _appreciated.

The saddest thing of all, he supposed, was that he didn't quite care. He cared about Rin-kun in the way that a distant cousin cared for his younger family member, who had just joined the household, but he was really too busy to get to know her…or anyone else, really. Perhaps after the war with Iwa, Akira could reconnect with his friends, and spend more than three hours sleeping before waking suddenly, worried about the hospital patients.

It was a long, hard struggle, but he could see that the war would be over soon. He was a natural strategist and analyzer, and though he wasn't perfect, he was damn good.

Even so, until the war was over, he couldn't afford to spend too much time with his favorite intern, because other people needed him much more than she did. Besides…Naruto-san would be waking up soon.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

When Naruto stirred, Rin-chan jumped up quickly and rushed to her side. It had been a day and a half since Rin-chan's senpai Akira had checked on them, and Naruto had been progressing steadily. It was only a matter of time until Naruto was up and training again; Rin-chan had said that. Naruto _was _a little obsessive about stuff like that.

Kushina-san quickly followed suit, moving carefully to avoid injuring herself further. Obito wanted to go over, too, but he still wasn't allowed out of bed and he didn't want to find out what Rin-chan would do to him if he ignored hospital orders.

He was still _very _pleased about the information Rin-chan had given him; he'd actually wondered if he'd _ever _activate his Sharingan. But Naruto's recovery even overshadowed _that, _and he wasn't sure he wanted to know _why. _It wasn't as if she was _Rin-chan._

"Ugh," she groaned, obviously straining to get her hand up to her eyes. She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Gamabunta," but he couldn't be sure.

"Naruto, you're awake," Rin-chan cried, dancing on the spot happily. Kushina-san's smile was very wide. Obito didn't know what his face looked like; if it mirrored the feelings inside, it would look very mashed and confused indeed. But he thought he was smiling.

"Ugh," Naruto replied.

"Don't try to talk, Naruto," Rin-chan scolded.

Naruto ignored the advice. "Sgoinon?"

"I told you not to _talk!"_

Naruto mumbled something else, which sounded like it might have to do with Iwa. Kushina-san gazed sadly at her, and Rin-chan seemed to collapse for a moment. "It's really me," she whispered. "You know…Rin."

"But-"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to _talk?"_

Kushina-san sighed. "Would you mind doing for Naruto what you did for Obito?"

Rin-chan hesitated, before whispering, "Of course I'll do it."

He watched interestedly as she began the process. It had seemed to take more time when she'd done it to _him; _but maybe that had to do with Naruto's healing ability. Rin-chan's hands moved expertly over Naruto's body, never quite touching the skin but jumpstarting Naruto's circulation anyway.

When Rin-chan moved away, Naruto's first words were, "Who the hell _are_ you, and why are you helping me?"

Rin-chan looked very distressed; Obito came to her rescue. "Naruto, we're in the hospital. The _Konoha _hospital. Rin-chan, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-san got us back from that cell. It's really Rin-chan."

Her tired eyes flicked to him briefly. "Prove it."

He knew what she was talking about, but he didn't think any of the things she'd said in the cell were things that should be heard by others, unless she said them herself. He thought for a moment, and then said, "In the cell, we made a promise to each other. I kept my end of that promise, and you almost didn't. I also promised to look after my cousin, even though I don't know why you want me to."

She looked pacified for a moment. "Where did Rin come from?"

"I've been watching over you both since we came back. Kushina-san has been dropping by whenever she can, and Minato-sensei has been really busy lately but he comes pretty often. Kakashi-kun didn't leave the room until Obito woke up, and now he's only gone because Hokage-sama summoned him to the tower. We're all so glad you're okay."

Naruto snorted, but winced and coughed. Obito thought she must've healed funny or something during that wave of red chakra Rin-chan had mentioned.

"Naruto, you shouldn't even be _talking," _Rin-chan lectured. "You're undoing all my hard work! And I can't do the same for you as I did for Obito because you're…um…built differently."

Surprisingly, Naruto didn't respond. Or maybe that _wasn't _so surprising; he wasn't sure if she still thought Rin-chan was an impostor.

After a while, Rin-chan nodded once and caught his eye. "I'm going to get a senior medic," she informed. "Kushina-san, would you please come with me?"

Kushina-san didn't seem to want to leave Naruto's side, but she nodded anyway. Rin-chan shot her a grateful look. "Obito…look after her, will you? It…seems like you're the only one she trusts right now." Rin-chan sounded sad as she added, "You're not supposed to get up, but I'll push your beds together."

Well…it wasn't like he was going to argue with her. She knew best, and besides, he wanted Naruto to get back to normal. He didn't like her like this.

"Yeah."

Rin-chan nodded again and pushed his bed up to Naruto's; his could be moved, since he wasn't being machine-monitored any more. In fact, as soon as he was cleared to walk, he could leave. He'd have to train the basics all over again…and even though that sucked, Naruto would have the same problem, so they'd go through it together.

As Rin-chan left the room, he settled on his side and watched Naruto for a moment. She looked a little lost, as if she didn't know what to do…or even what to think.

"It really is Rin-chan, you know," he murmured. "I could tell in the prison. Plus, she healed us, and was nice to us, and she barely took her eyes off you until you woke up."

She met his eyes blankly. He frowned. "Do you know who I am?"

Her only response was a whispered, "You told me you wouldn't die."

"Uh…I'm _not _dead," he replied, more than a little confused. "And you're not supposed to talk, remember? Rin-chan will kill me if I let you be reckless."

_And I'm not going to let you hurt yourself again, _he didn't say.

"Hmm."

"I really _am _alive, you know. I mean…I was _gonna _die, but…" He narrowed his eyes. "Why would you do something like that? I mean…not that I'm not happy to be alive, but why did you do something that _stupid, _huh?"

Naruto closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

"And that's just to think about; you can't talk," he added.

She reached out and took his left hand, the one she'd held in the prison until the end. "Don't go away."

"Don't_ make_ me tape your mouth shut."

She didn't say anything more, but her face relaxed and her mouth didn't look so grim any more. He'd never counted on her suspicious behavior; she was a little _too _trusting, in most cases; but he knew she'd get better.

_They'd_ get better.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"I'm so excited! Naruto got cleared! She can leave! She can leave, she can leave!"

"Shut up, idiot."

"Don't call _me _an idiot, you asshole! You're just as excited as I am, I can tell! You can't pretend to be a brick any more, Kakashi, because-"

"Boys! We are in a _hospital! _And what if Naruto's sleeping, huh?"

"I'm sorry, Rin-chan! Don't worry, I'll keep this brat in line. He just can't contain his excitement…can you, Kakashi-chan?"

"…Tch. Whatever. It's not worth my time to argue with you."

Naruto grinned as she heard her bickering teammates, pleased with the new dynamic. She could just picture the looks on their faces. It had been a while, but after three weeks of meeting with the Head of Interrogation, she'd been able to face reality. She wasn't sure what had happened within that month-long imprisonment; she couldn't even remember clearly what her first days awake were like. She was just glad this wasn't some sort of illusion.

Who knew that the Head of Interrogation was also the best psychologist in the whole village? Certainly not Naruto. But it had made sense; an interrogations specialist would have to intimately understand the inner workings of people's minds.

She saw the door open, and she sat down on her bed, giving her very short ponytail a sharp tug to keep the shorter bits in. She didn't remember getting her hair cut, and she suspected it must've been while she was in that cell…but that wasn't something she wanted to think about right now. She was getting _out! _And this time, she wasn't _escaping!_

…Nobody had been very happy when she'd snuck out, either time. They seemed to think that being forced to rest in hospitals was a _good _thing. Insane, all of them.

"Naruto," Rin cried, throwing her arms around her neck. "You're finally ready!"

Naruto rolled her eyes and pushed Rin away. "I was ready a long time ago, but you crazy hospital people kept me locked up! I mean…I didn't have _ramen _in…uh…a _long time. _In fact, to make it up to me, you can take me out to ramen right _now!"_

Her teammates exchanged wary glances. "Or I could go find Kushina-neechan. _She'd_ probably like to get ramen with me."

"Of course I would," Kushina-neechan said from the doorway. She'd obviously just gotten there. "In fact, why don't we all go together?"

Minato-sensei entered the room behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She smiled up at him. Naruto could see the unspoken thoughts and feelings in their eyes, and she was pleased to find that it didn't hurt like it used to. Maybe she was just growing up, or maybe learning to let go. She didn't have to _forget _in order to be happy and move into a new phase in her life, right?

Wow…that Yuuhi Manami sure knew what she was talking about. Still, Naruto wasn't going back for therapy, _ever._ It took too much effort to sit still through it all!

Plus, it was a little freaky to meet her daughter, Kurenai. Freakier than meeting Kakashi, because she hadn't really known Kurenai-sensei at all.

The three chuunin who'd helped in her rescue hadn't ever been introduced; or maybe they had, and she didn't remember. Nobody had been willing to tell her what their names were. But she was grateful to them all the same.

"You guys _owe _me for making me stay in here," she said darkly, playfully folding her arms and narrowing her eyes. "I've been Ichiraku deprived for _two months! _That's just…_evil!"_

_Besides,_ she didn't add, _now that Ichiraku-jiichan is alive, I want to spend time with him. He was one of the first people to ever be nice to me._

"It's okay, Naruto," Rin said, the sparkle in her eyes giving away the falseness of her stern tone. "We can go to Ichiraku."

"Yes!"

"As long as _you _pay," she added.

"…Sure, pick on the weak one."

"I thought you said you've been ready to leave for a long time?"

Rin had just…_trapped her! _Ooh, she was in for a razzing.

"Yeah. I'm _weak _because you guys wouldn't even let me _train. _I had to _lie _there, bored out of my mind, with no _ramen._ If anything, I should be _paid _for a freaking A-rank mission! You have _no idea _how hard that was! So, I think, that to show understanding and care for your poor teammate, you should pay for my ramen."

Obito looked torn between amusement and wanting to stand up for Rin. Kakashi…looked like he wasn't sure what to do…which was kind of funny, in a sort of ironically sad way. Kushina-neechan was laughing, and Minato-sensei grinned. "I have an idea. How about we all pay for our _own?"_

Naruto blinked. "Uh…why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're an idiot," Obito and Kakashi said together, before glaring at each other and then turning their heads.

Despite the insult, Naruto burst out laughing. "I get to name your firstborn," she teased.

"Wha…huh? You-he-me-gah," Obito spluttered, gesticulating wildly and looking very much like an angry tomato. "Don't say weird things like that!"

Kakashi joined in with a nice death glare.

Rin was having a hard time hiding her laughter behind her hand. Kushina-neechan didn't bother trying, and flashed Naruto a victory sign. Minato-sensei heaved a heavy sigh, but his eyes were laughing. "Now that we're done exchanging insults and teasing each other, it's time to leave."

Naruto widened her eyes. "Oh yeah! Let's go! Catch up if you can, losers!"

Everyone except Rin _did _catch up; she wasn't exactly in the best of shape. Still, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Where's Rin?"

"She said she was going to say goodbye to her coworker," Kushina-neechan explained. "She'll be along in a minute."

All in all, it was a _great _day.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

"You decided not to say anything?"

Rin looked at Akira-senpai, a sad smile on her lips. "Can't you see what's going on?"

"Yes, I can. And even though it hurts my favorite intern, I'm glad you're doing the right thing."

Akira-senpai ruffled her hair. "It's not too late, you know. You're all still young. People grow and change with time. Don't give up just yet."

Rin sighed and looked up at her senpai…no, her friend. "Since when do you care about stuff like this, senpai?"

"The war is over," he explained. "We aren't finished with the negotiations, but it's _over. _I see it with my own eyes. I can finally rest in peace, without worrying about all the wounded frontliners I might be missing."

"I guess that makes sense."

"You know," he said gently, "if a person can't appreciate such a good thing, they don't deserve you."

"No," Rin answered quietly. "She does. But she deserves _him _more. She does appreciate me…but not in the same way I appreciate her. Besides; no matter how annoying he can be, Obito _is _a great guy."

"You've grown up a lot," he observed.

"I know. Thanks, senpai."

"Any time, Rin-kun. Now, get back to your friends. They'll be missing you."

He ruffled her hair again, before snatching up his clipboard. "At any rate, I need to get back to _work."_

"You work too much, senpai."

"And you think too much. Go!"

Rin left Akira-senpai, feeling much better than she had previously. Akira-senpai was right; people _did _grow and change with time. She herself would, too.

The only constant in life _was _change, after all.

* * *

I'm sure you're all asking, "Does Rin like Naruto?" The answer, folks, is yes. But that is not the pairing. Rin does change, and Naruto never finds out about Rin's earlier feelings. So, I'm sorry if that disturbed any of you, but if anyone has a problem with slash - either female or male - you should probably not read past the fourth book I have planned. It's not a huge thing, since all the books center around our Naruto, but there will be love between characters of the same gender. 

And, in answer to the question, "Will Kakashi and Obito be together?" No. Naruto was just teasing them. Their dynamic will be a little strange, but don't worry, they will be friends. But more than friends? Nope.

At any rate, thanks again for your support! Love you all! And enjoy the epilogue!


	19. Epilogue

"You're _late,"_ Obito accused, pointing a finger at the newcomer.

"Hey, go easy on him," Naruto admonished. "He's still just a brat."

"Shut up," Kakashi said quietly. "This is childish."

Obito snickered. "Just admit it, Kakashi, you got caught!"

"I didn't think you guys were _serious," _Rin said exasperatedly. "I would've warned him!"

"But what good would_ that _have done? See, Kakashi," Naruto said, a glimmer of playfulness in her eyes, "you came late. And guess what? You didn't get struck by lightning. You didn't trip over a black cat. You didn't find out that all the ramen in Konoha is gone. You're _okay."_

"Perhaps. But that's the last time I believe you about meeting times," he answered monotonously. He looked almost…embarrassed.

"I think it should be a mission – you _have _to be late twice a month," Obito remarked, grinning.

Rin lifted an eyebrow. "Um…Obito, what good would that do?"

"None whatsoever, but it would be damn funny."

"Oh, stop it!"

"Are you finished," Kakashi asked. "I'm getting tired of this. I don't speak Idiot."

Minato proudly watched his former students interact. They'd gone from a shaky team, to a dysfunctional family, to a dysfunctional family who happened to be friends. As worrisome as it was to have a team that close, he was glad to have been a part of it.

It had been a month and a half since Naruto had been released from the hospital, and already she was the powerful kunoichi she had been. Obito had caught up quickly; apparently, activating his Sharingan with two tomoe in each eye warranted some attention in his clan, because they had decided he deserved training from the Uchiha elites.

But right now, he didn't have enough time to reflect on this; he had some business to take care of.

He cleared his throat. "I have some important news," he said, catching their attention.

"Minato-sensei? When did you get here? What's the news?" Naruto's bright grin seemed to be contagious; soon, Obito and Rin were wearing the same expression, and Kakashi's eyes were a little lighter. Since nobody could really see his face, and considering how he'd been before, that counted as a smile.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you all, and that I'm not going to be part of your team any more. From now on, you're all Team Kakashi. I'm trusting you, Kakashi," he said, glancing at the masked boy, "so you ought to know that I have a lot of faith in you…in all of you."

"Um…but, why are you not going to be on our team," Naruto asked, sounding a bit sad.

He smiled at them. "Because I have a new assignment."

"What is-"

At that moment, a runner approached them and let Minato know that he had been summoned by Hokage-sama. He waved. "Well, I've got to go. I'll see you later! Be good, kids!"

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Naruto thought she remembered something similar to this, but she couldn't quite place it. The whole village was gathered in front of the Hokage tower, waiting for…something. An announcement, obviously, but she didn't have a clue as to what it was.

"Hey," she said, poking Kakashi's shoulder. "Do you know what all this is about?"

"If you don't know, I'm not going to explain it to you," he replied.

What a…augh! What a stuck-up jerk! "Why do I put up with you, anyway?"

"Because I am your commander."

…Oh. Yeah. She couldn't say for sure, but she _thought _he might be teasing her.

"That's not a good excuse," she grumbled. "I think I must be losing my mind."

"You'd have to _have _one first," Obito 'pointed out,' prompting her to clench her fists.

"You'll get yours," she promised through gritted teeth.

Just then, she caught sight of Minato-sensei on the platform. He wasn't wearing his jounin vest any more, and…

Oh, it all made sense now!

"Guys, guys, Minato-sensei! Do you see? He's the Yondaime Hokage!"

"Yes, Naruto, we see," Rin replied at a whisper. "Now listen! He's going to give a speech."

Naruto seriously doubted that. Minato-sensei was a great shinobi, got things done efficiently, and he thought on his feet. However, she knew speeches weren't his style. He was a man of action.

"Hey," he called to the citizens of Konoha, his voice projecting loud and clear. Those who had been speaking stopped immediately.

"So, the Sandaime Hokage-sama has decided to retire. And he saw fit to name me as his successor. What do you guys think about it?"

There was a moment of confused silence, before a loud cheer broke out, started by Naruto, Obito, and Rin.

"Minato-sensei," Naruto shouted, at the same time as others shouted, "Namikaze-sama!"

He grinned and held up the Hokage hat. "Then I guess I'd better get used to this!"

The people absolutely loved and respected him, but she'd always known they would. He was a _good person,_ with good _morals,_ good _looks,_ and_ charisma._

Naruto, however, still thought he was a dork.

* * *

-- THE END --

* * *

Stay tuned for the sequel, "Effect and Affection," coming soon! 


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